Cocos nucifera
Coconut Palm
Nū / Tumu-Nū RR
f.ARECACEAE
Palms
Cocos nucifera
Coconut Palm
Nū / Tumu-Nū RR
f.ARECACEAE
Palms
Cook Islands Status Summary
Show Notes
Intl. NamesCoconut Palm EN Coco Palm EN Coco Tree EN Cocoa Nut EN , Cocoanut EN , Coconut Tree EN Porcupine Wood EN Kokospalme DE Kokosnuss DE Cocotier Nucifère FR Cocotier Porte‑noix FR
Local NamesPū-nūRR Tumu-nūRR NūMG,AT,MK PūnūMT NiuAK,TNs,TNw,PK,NS P,?NPL NīMH,RK
Pacific NamesNiu SAM
Sci. NamesCocos nucifera (accepted name)
High Tax. Eng.k.Plants, p.Flowering Plants, f.Palms - a tree
High Tax. Latink.PLANTAE, p.ANTHOPHYTA, c.LILIOPSIDA, sc.ARECIDAE, o.Arecales, f.ARECACEAE
Natl. PresencePresent
Sth. PresenceRR++++MG++++AT++++MK++++MT++++AK++++PLPMNP WTKP
Nth. PresenceTN++++MHPRKPPK++++NSPSWP
VouchersPK2004
Local OriginIntroduced; Polynesian and Recent; Naturalised
Global RangeNative: Native Niu Kafa: Malay - Indonesia - Cooks - French Polynesia - C.America; Introduced: Niu Vai: circumtropical, incl. all inhabited Pacific islands;
HabitatLand; Lowlands, Coastal, Horticultural Zone; Uplands
ThreatenedNo Content
InvasivenessNo Content
BiosecurityNo Content
Medical StatusMedicine
Harmful StatusNo Content
UsesFood - fruit (very commonly); Ornamental - leaves; Material - for timber, for fibre
IdentificationLong-lived, to c.100years, solitary palm to 30m. TRUNK column-like, unbranched, slightly curved, to 30cmØ, thicker at base. LEAVES in spiral terminal cluster of 10-20 leaves, each a frond to 5x2m, basal sheath a fibrous gauze; midrib with two rows ofmore... leaflets forming one plane; develop 12-14 leaves a year. LEAFLETS (=pinnae, segments), numerous, 1-ribbed, stiff, swordlike, to 80x8cm. FLOWERS simple-branched cluster, to 1m, at base of the leaves; female flowers singular at base of each branch, 3cmØ; male flowers, small, very numerous (200-300) along the branches, fall before female flowers open; cross-pollination by insects and wind; spathe (=bract) large, woody, narrow-oval, spits along underside. FRUIT large to 2kg, ovoid, to 35x25cm, skin (exocarp) ripening green, yellow or orange; husk (mesocarp) thick and fibrous, shell (endocarp) thin, hard, with 3 pores ('eyes') including one over the embryo; SEED large, embryo at base; endosperm (=flesh), 1-2cm, white, solid, oily, with central cavity of water. The ovary has 3 ovules assocaited with three pores in the shell, two abort and one develops.
Similar SpeciesNo Content
Interest NoteThe evidence that the Coconut Palm is native in the South Pamore...cific to at least the Cook Islands is from Atiu and Mangaia. On Atiu coconut pollen is found in the pollen record at 8600BP (corrected date), which is several thousand years before the first Polynesian settlers arrived [Parkes 1997]. On Mangaia Coconut and Indian Mulberry are in the pollen record at 7300B.P. and the earliest dispurbance that might have been human-induced is at 2500BP [Ellison 1994]. On Moorea it is found at 1400BP when the settlement seems to have occurred around 1200BP [Parkes 1997].
The world's main source of vegetable fat, obtained from the dried flesh (endosperm). Husk provides fibre (coir).
The world's main source of vegetable fat, obtained from the dried flesh (endosperm). Husk provides fibre (coir).
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Vernacular Names
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Threatened
no data available
Invasive/Pest Status
no data available
Biosecurity
Citation Information
McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.04.03 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
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