King coconut
King coconut (Cocos nucifera var aurantiaca) is a variety of coconut, native to Sri Lanka, where it is known as Thæmbili (Sinhala: තැඹිලි) also found in India and Indonesia.[1] It has less sugar content than other coconuts. There are several sub-varieties of the king coconut, the most common being the "red dwarf" (kaha thæmbili, commonly referred to as gon thæmbili). The other variety is "Ran Thæmbili",[2] a smaller variety containing about forty nuts in a bunch. The king coconut tree is a shorter variety, and is commonly found growing wild in many areas of the country.[3]
The king coconut water, the liquid endosperm of young coconuts, is a nutritious beverage rich in sugars (mainly reducing sugars), minerals (mainly K+), vitamins (mainly B & C) and amino acids.[4]
Sri Lanka now exports packaged king coconut water in a variety of brands.
Varieties and forms of coconut found in Sri Lanka
Varieties in Sri Lanka include:[5]
| Common name | Variety/form | Resembles | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka Tall | Typica/Typical | Tall stature, allogamous, heterogeneous, flowers in 6–7 years, medium-sized nuts, 20–25 nuts per bunch, 60––80 nuts per palm per year. | |
| Gon Thæmbili | Typica/Gon Thæmbili | Sri Lanka Tall | Ivory-coloured nuts, petioles, and inflorescences. |
| Nawasi | Typica/Nawasi | Sri Lanka Tall | Soft mesocarp edible in the immature nut. Yields soft fibre when mature. |
| Pora pol | Typica/Pora pol | Sri Lanka Tall | Remarkably thick-shelled nuts |
| Ran Thæmbili | Typica/Ran thæmbili | Sri Lanka Tall | Pink-coloured mesocarp in immature fruit and a pink whorl under the perianth. Large nuts |
| Kamandala | Typica/Kamandala | Sri Lanka Tall | Large-sized nuts largest among local forms, and few nuts per bunch 2–5 nuts per bunch. |
| Bodiri | Typica/Bodiri | Sri Lanka Tall | Small-sized nuts, and large number per bunch 30–100 nuts per bunch. Seasonal nut production. |
| Dikiri | Typica/Dikiri | Sri Lanka Tall | Some nuts contain a jelly-like endosperm. Generally only some nuts in a bunch of coconuts are like this and the rest are normal coconuts. |
| King Coconut | Aurantiaca/King coconut | Intermediate stature, autogamous, homogeneous, fruits in 6–7 years, seasonal flower production, medium-sized nuts with orange epicarp, and sweet nut water; 25–50 nuts per bunch. | |
| Nawasi Thæmbili | Aurantiaca/Nawasi thæmbili | King Coconut | Similar to King Coconut. Soft and edible mesocarp like Nawasi. |
| Rath / Ran Thæmbili | Aurantiaca/Rath / Ran thæmbili | King Coconut | Pink-coloured mesocarp, and a pink whorl under the perianth. |
| Bothal Thæmbili | Aurantiaca/Bothal thæmbili | King Coconut | Bottle shaped nuts. |
| Green Dwarf / Kundira | Nana/Green dwarf or Pumila | Dwarf stature, autogamous, homogeneous, fruits in 3–4 years, small-sized nuts with green epicarp. Low copra content, 80–150 nuts per palm per year. | |
| Yellow Dwarf / Kundira | Nana/Yellow dwarf or Eburnea | Green dwarf | Nuts with yellow epicarp. |
| Red Dwarf / Kundira | Nana/Red dwarf or Regia | Green dwarf | Nuts with red epicarp. |
| Brown Dwarf / Kundira | Nana/Brown dwarf or Braune | Green dwarf | Nuts with brown epicarp. |
See also
References
- ^ "What is King Coconut?". Archived from the original on 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
- ^ "Thambili - Punchi Lindey Vathura Rasai". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03.
- ^ "Coconut varieties". Florida Gardener. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
- ^ "Country reports on status of coconut genetic resources research". Coconut Genetic Resources (PDF). International Plant Genetic Resources Institute – Regional Office for Asia, the Pacific and Oceania (IPGRI-APO), Serdang, Selangor DE, Malaysia.: Pons Batugal, V. Ramanatha Rao and Jeffrey Oliver. 2005. p. 587. ISBN 92-9043-629-8.
- ^ Ekanayake, G.K. , Perera, S. A. C. N. , Dassanayake, P. N. , Everard, J. M. D. T. (2010). "Varietal Classification of New Coconut Cocos nucifera L. Forms Identified" (PDF). Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
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