The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus Cocos. The term “coconut” (or the archaic “cocoanut”) can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which botanically is a drupe, not a nut. The name comes from the old Portuguese word coco, meaning “head” or “skull”, after the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features. They are ubiquitous in coastal tropical regions and are a cultural icon of the tropics.
It is one of the most useful trees in the world and is often referred to as the “tree of life”. It provides food, fuel, cosmetics, folk medicine and building materials, among many other uses. The inner flesh of the mature seed, as well as the coconut milk extracted from it, form a regular part of the diets of many people in the tropics and subtropics. Coconuts are distinct from other fruits because their endosperm contains a large quantity of clear liquid, called coconut water or coconut juice. Mature, ripe coconuts can be used as edible seeds, or processed for oil and plant milk from the flesh, charcoal from the hard shell, and coir from the fibrous husk. Dried coconut flesh is called copra, and the oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking – frying in particular – as well as in soaps and cosmetics. Sweet coconut sap can be made into drinks or fermented into palm wine or coconut vinegar. The hard shells, fibrous husks and long pinnate leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decoration.
The coconut has cultural and religious significance in certain societies, particularly in the Western Pacific Austronesian cultures where it features in the mythologies, songs, and oral traditions. It also had ceremonial importance in pre-colonial animistic religions. It has also acquired religious significance in South Asian cultures, where it is used in Hindu rituals. It forms the basis of wedding and worship rituals in Hinduism. It also plays a central role in the Coconut Religion of Vietnam. The falling nature of their mature fruit has led to preoccupation with death by coconut.
Coconuts were first domesticated by the Austronesian peoples in Island Southeast Asia and were spread during the Neolithic via their seaborne migrations as far east as the Pacific Islands, and as far west as Madagascar and the Comoros. They played a critical role in the long sea voyages of Austronesians by providing a portable source of food and water, as well as providing building materials for Austronesian outrigger boats. Coconuts were also later spread in historic times along the coasts of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans by South Asian, Arab, and European sailors. Coconut populations today can still be divided into two based on these separate introductions – the Pacific coconuts and Indo-Atlantic coconuts, respectively. Coconuts were introduced by Europeans to the Americas only during the colonial era in the Columbian exchange, but there is evidence of a possible pre-Columbian introduction of Pacific coconuts to Panama by Austronesian sailors. The evolutionary origin of the coconut is under dispute, with theories stating that it may have evolved in Asia, South America, or on Pacific islands. Trees grow up to 30 m (100 ft) tall and can yield up to 75 fruits per year, though fewer than 30 is more typical. Plants are intolerant of cold weather and prefer copious precipitation, as well as full sunlight. Many insect pests and diseases affect the species and are a nuisance for commercial production. About 75% of the world’s supply of coconuts is produced by Indonesia, the Philippines, and India combined.
Username: Bongsong Published on 2024-10-07 03:06:44 ID NUMBER: 122412
Baby Anteater Fun Facts:
Baby anteaters, or ‘pups,’ ride on their mother’s back till they gain strength to walk on their own!
These pups stay with their mommy till they are two years old before becoming independent and living on their own!
Baby Dolphin Fun Facts:
Baby dolphins learn to swim while they’re in their mother’s womb!
Baby dolphins roll their tongues like a straw in which their mommy shoots the breastmilk!
Kitten Fun Facts:
Every teat of a cat has a distinctive smell. Each kitten memorizes this smell and feeds off from the same teat every time!
In Bali, a monkey adopted an abandoned kitten and raised it as its own!
Baby Hedgehog Fun Facts:
Baby hedgehogs or hoglets are immune to venom, so they can kill and devour snakes if needed!
Like humans, baby hedgehogs can cry, cough, and even scream!
Baby Hippo Fun Facts:
Adult male hippos might attack baby hippos in water, so the mommy will always be around to protect the babies!
Female baby hippos are quicker in reaching maturity than male baby hippos.
Baby Deer Fun Facts:
When baby deer are born, they come with a set of just four teeth!
For the first two weeks from their birth, baby deer only survive on mommy deer’s milk.
Ducklings Fun Facts:
Even when babies, ducks sleep with one eye open, resting only half of their brain. This behavior helps them stay alert and protect themselves from terrifying predators like snakes or wolves.
Baby ducks produce an oily substance from their preen gland. They spread it all over their body, making their feathers waterproof so they can easily float or fly.
Baby Crocodile Fun Facts:
Baby crocodiles can shed and regrow their sharp and strong teeth at will, but it becomes harder as they grow up.
Just after they hatch from their eggs, the mommy crocodile carries the baby crocodiles in her mouth towards the water for their first swim!
Baby Elephant Fun Facts:
When baby elephants come into this world, they are born with poor eyesight, nearly blind!
Like humans, baby elephants shed their tusks when they are a year old and regrow them after turning two!
Baby Giraffe Fun Facts:
Baby giraffes can run fast and keep pace with the adults just 10 hours after being born!
After turning a month old, the mums leave the baby giraffes with babysitters called ‘calving pools’ and go hunting for food and water!
Monkeys are intriguing creatures that have captivated human interest for centuries. From their playful nature to their remarkable intelligence, there is always something fascinating to learn about these charismatic animals. Among the most endearing and adorable of all monkeys are their babies, commonly known as baby monkeys. These pint-sized primates are not only incredibly cute but also possess unique characteristics that set them apart from their adult counterparts.
This healthy baby monkey developed from an egg containing mitochondrial DNA from one female and nuclear DNA from anotherOregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University.
A rehabilitation and release program for over 500 vervet monkeys.
The Vervet Monkey Foundation (VMF) is a non-profit organization established in 1993. The centre is based in Tzaneen in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. They rehabilitate and provide sanctuary to over 600 primates, orphaned, injured, abused, ex-laboratory or unwanted pets. Thanks to their work, there is much greater understanding of the vervet monkey now, and they are no longer classified as a “nuisance” animal in South Africa. Visit Website.
The New World monkeys are the five families of primates that are found in the tropical regions of Mexico, Central and South America: Callitrichidae, Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, and Atelidae. The five families are ranked together as the Ceboidea (/səˈbɔɪdi.ə/), the only extant superfamily in the parvorder Platyrrhini (/plætɪˈraɪnaɪ/).[3]
Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes. Thus monkeys, in that sense, constitute an incomplete paraphyletic grouping; however, in the broader sense based on cladistics, apes (Hominoidea) are also included, making the terms monkeys and simians synonyms in regard to their scope.
Banana | Description, History, Cultivation, Nutrition, Benefits, & Facts | Britannica
banana, fruit of the genus Musa, of the family Musaceae, one of the most important fruit crops of the world. The banana is grown in the tropics, and, though it is most widely consumed in those regions, it is valued worldwide for its flavour, nutritional value, and availability throughout the year. Cavendish, or dessert, bananas are most commonly eaten fresh, though they may be fried or mashed and chilled in pies or puddings. They may also be used to flavour muffins, cakes, or breads. Cooking varieties, or plantains, are starchy rather than sweet and are grown extensively as a staple food source in tropical regions; they are cooked when ripe or immature. A ripe fruit contains as much as 22 percent of carbohydrate and is high in dietary fibre, potassium, manganese, and vitamins B6 and C.
Garden, Plot of ground where herbs, fruits, flowers, vegetables, or trees are cultivated. The earliest surviving detailed garden plan is Egyptian and dates from about 1400 BC; it shows tree-lined avenues and rectangular ponds. Mesopotamian gardens were places where shade and cool water could be enjoyed; Hellenistic gardens were conspicuously luxurious in their display of precious materials, a tradition carried over by Byzantine gardens. Islamic gardens made use of water, often in pools and fed by narrow canals resembling irrigation channels. In Renaissance Europe, gardens reflected confidence in human ability to impose order on the external world; Italian gardens emphasized the unity of house and garden. French 17th-century gardens were rigidly symmetrical, and French cultural dominance in Europe popularized this style into the next century. In 18th-century England, increasing awareness of the natural world led to the development of “natural” gardens that made use of irregular, nonsymmetrical layouts. Chinese gardens have generally harmonized with the natural landscape, and have employed rocks gathered from great distances as a universal decorative feature. Early Japanese gardens imitated Chinese principles; later developments were the abstract garden, which might feature only sand and rocks, and miniature gardens made in trays (see bonsai).
