PALM

Image ID: 9212538

Caption : Cocos nucifera tree of the palm family (Arecaceae).It is one of the most important crops of the tropics.The slender , LEANING, ringed trunk of the tree rises to a height of up to 25 metres (80 feet), from a swollen base and is surmounted by a graceful crown of giant, feather -like leaves. Mature fruits, ovoid or ellipsoid in shape, 300-450 millimetres (12-18 inches) in lenght, and 150-200 mm in diameter, have thick fibrous husk surrounding the familiar single-seeded nut of commerce. A hard shell encloses the insignifican embryo with its abundant endosperm, composed of both meat and liquid. Photo: H. Vibhu (02-09-2006)