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PLANTS AND MAN 



enclosing the seed — which is the coconut of commerce. The 

 coconut meat and milk are the soft endosperm of the seed, while 

 the embryo is located in the hard endosperm. The dried coconut 

 meat, or copra, has a considerable oil content (up to 65%); such 



f 



Fig. 153. — ^The strangling fig (Florida) is an epiphyte which eventually 

 strangles its host to death. 



dried coconut, used in confectionery and cooking, comes mostly 

 from Ceylon. Most coconuts are gathered from uncultivated 

 trees, although plantations are being developed in India, the 

 Philippines, Dutch East Indies and Ceylon. In the United States 

 fruiting trees are found in southern Florida. Other important 

 uses of the coconut palm include the manufacture of oils and 



