﻿84 
  Elementary 
  Species 
  

  

  yields 
  the 
  best 
  and 
  most 
  supple 
  fibres, 
  while 
  

   those 
  of 
  the 
  stupposa 
  are 
  stiff 
  and 
  almost 
  un- 
  

   bending. 
  

  

  The 
  varieties 
  also 
  differ 
  greatly 
  in 
  size, 
  color, 
  

   shape 
  and 
  quality, 
  and 
  the 
  trees 
  have 
  also 
  pe- 
  

   culiar 
  characteristics. 
  One 
  variety 
  exhibits 
  

   leaves 
  which 
  are 
  nearly 
  entire, 
  the 
  divisions 
  be- 
  

   ing 
  only 
  imperfectly 
  separated, 
  as 
  often 
  occurs 
  

   in 
  the 
  very 
  first 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  seedlings 
  of 
  other 
  

   varieties. 
  The 
  flavor 
  of 
  the 
  flesh, 
  oil 
  and 
  milk 
  

   likewise 
  yield 
  many 
  good 
  varietal 
  marks. 
  

  

  In 
  short, 
  the 
  coconut-palm 
  comes 
  under 
  the 
  

   general 
  rule, 
  that 
  botanical 
  species 
  are 
  built 
  up 
  

   of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  sharply 
  distinguishable 
  types, 
  

   which 
  prove 
  their 
  constancy 
  and 
  relative 
  inde- 
  

   pendence 
  by 
  their 
  wide 
  distribution 
  in 
  culture. 
  

   In 
  systematic 
  works 
  all 
  these 
  forms 
  are 
  called 
  

   varieties, 
  and 
  a 
  closer 
  investigation 
  of 
  their 
  

   real 
  systematic 
  value 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  made. 
  

   But 
  the 
  question 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  varieties 
  

   and 
  of 
  the 
  coconut 
  itself 
  has 
  engrossed 
  the 
  at- 
  

   tention 
  of 
  many 
  botanists, 
  among 
  whom 
  are 
  De 
  

   Candolle 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  century, 
  and 
  

   Cook 
  at 
  its 
  close. 
  

  

  Both 
  questions 
  are 
  closely 
  connected. 
  De 
  

   Candolle 
  claimed 
  an 
  Asiatic 
  origin 
  for 
  the 
  whole 
  

   species, 
  while 
  Cook's 
  studies 
  go 
  to 
  prove 
  that 
  

   its 
  original 
  habitat 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  sought 
  in 
  the 
  north- 
  

   ern 
  countries 
  of 
  South 
  America. 
  Numerous 
  

  

  