The
coconut (
Cocos nucifera) is a member of the palm tree family,
Arecaceae. Originally native to the
Central Indo-Pacific, in the regions of
Maritime Southeast Asia and
Melanesia, coconuts are now found across the world due to human cultivation and dispersal. They are normally cultivated in hot and wet tropical climates. The term coconut also commonly refers to the seed and fruit of the coconut tree, which is botanically a
drupe. The fruit has three layers including an edible white, fleshy
endosperm and is filled with a liquid known as
coconut water. The coconut thus played a critical role in the migration of
Austronesian peoples across the Indian Ocean, as it provided a portable source of both food and water for long sea voyages. In modern times coconuts are used extensively in cooking and cuisine, using the raw flesh, the water or in alternative forms such as
coconut milk and
coconut butter. These coconuts, one whole and one halved, were grown in the Dominican Republic; this photograph was
focus-stacked from 19 separate images.
Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus
