Question

State whether the following statement is true or false. Coconut is dispersed through water.

Answer 1

Coconut whose scientific name is Cocos nucifera belongs to the palm tree family. The word coconut is derived from the Spanish word coco which means head or skull. They are majorly found in the coastal tropical regions.

Complete answer:
Coconuts are fruits that are borne by coconut palm trees which are approximately 100 ft tall and can bear upto 75 fruits per year. The coconut is not a true nut rather it is a drupe. But like most other fruits it is composed of the similar three layers- exocarp, endocarp and mesocarp. The endosperm of coconut is quite unique from other fruits as it is filled with a clear liquid. Now fruits rather their seeds are dispersed by a variety of biotic and abiotic factors. The abiotic factors include wind, water, gravity whereas the biotic factors include animals and birds. Dispersal of seeds carries the seed away from the parent plant which increases their chances of survival and germination. Now coming to coconuts, they are most often dispersed by water as they can very easily float and be thus carried to a different location.

So the sentence given in the above question is True.

Note: Coconuts are very useful because from it a variety of different materials such as food, cosmetic, medicines, furnishing materials can be obtained. In India coconut also has religious significance among the people belonging to the Hindu community.