c o c 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



C O C 



335 



9. Cochlearia Acaulis. Stemless : leaves cordate-kidney- 

 shaped ; scapes filiform, one-flowered, quite simple. The 

 whole plant scarcely half an inch high, growing in smooth 

 tufts ; flowers blue or white ; silicle inflated, thick, oblong, 

 many-seeded. Native of Portugal and Morocco. 



10. Cochlearia Auriculata. Leaves oblong, arrow-shaped 

 at the base, auricled, embracing the stem ; racemes long, 

 loose, simple. Stem six inches high ; flowers white. Found 

 near Auvergne. 



Cock's-comb. See Celosia. 



Cock's -foot Grass. See Dactylis. 



Cock' s-head. See Hedysarum. 



Cockle. See Agrostemma. 



Cocoa-nut. See Cocos. 



Cocoa Plum. See Chrysobalanus. 



Cocos ; a genus of the class Monoecia, order Hexandria ; 

 of the natural order of Palms. GENERIC CHARACTER. Male 

 flowers, in the same spadix with the females. Calix: spathe 

 universal, univalve; spadixbranehing; perianth three-parted, 

 very small; divisions subtriquetrous, concave, coloured. Co- 

 rolla : petals three, ovate, acute, patulous. Stamina : fila- 

 menta six, simple, length of the corolla; antherae sagittate. 

 Pistil: germen scarce manifest; styles three, short; stigma 

 obsolete. Pericarp : abortient. Female Flowers, on the 

 same spadix with the males. Caiir.- spathe common with 

 the hermaphrodites, as likewise the spadix ; perianth three- 

 parted ; divisions roundish, concave, converging, coloured, 

 permanent. Corolla : petals three, permanent, like the calix, 

 but rather larger. Pistil : germen ovate ; style none ; stigma 

 three-lobed. Pericarp : drupe coriaceous, very large, round- 

 ish, obscurely triangular. Sted: hut very large, subovate, 

 acuminate, one-celled, valvuless, obtusely three-cornered, 

 the base perforated by three holes ; kernel hollow. ES- 

 SENTIAL CHARACTER. Male. Calix: three-parted. Corolla: 

 three-petalled. Stamina: six. Female. Calix: five-parted. 

 Corolla: three-petalled. Stigmas: three. Drupe: coria- 

 ceous. The species arc, 



1. Cocos Nucifera ; Cocoa-nut Tree. Unarmed : fronds 

 pinnate ; leaflets folded back, ensiform. The roots are very 

 slender, simple, and flexile ; they arise separately from the 

 bottom of the trunk, and spread in all directions, some run- 

 ning to a great depth, while others creep almost parallel to 

 the surface. The trees grow to a great height ; their stems 

 are composed of strong fibres like net-work, which lie in 

 several laminae over each other, out of which come the 

 branches, or rather leaves, which grow twelve or fourteen 

 feet long, forming a terminal head ; the upper ones erect, 

 middle ones horizontal, lower ones rather drooping; leaflets 

 numerous ; petioles in two ranks ; spathes oblong, acute, 

 opening on one side. The flowers come out round the top of 

 the trunk of the tree, in large clusters ; they are inclosed in a 

 large spathe or sheath; and the nuts also are afterwards formed 

 in large clusters, ten or twelve together. The fruit is properly 

 a berried drupe, superior, very large, ovate, rounded-three- 

 cornered ; the shell itself is of a bony substance ; the ker- 

 nel adheres all round the inner wall of the shell, and the 

 cavity is tilled with a milky liquor. The kernel in some nuts 

 is nearly an inch thick ; and the hollow contains about a pint 

 <f sweet, delicate, wholesome, and refreshing liquor. While 

 the nut is growing, it contains nothing but this liquor ; but as 

 it approaches towards maturity, the kernel begins to settle 

 round the inside of the shell, like soft cream, which, as the 

 nut ripens, increases in substance until it becomes hard. The 

 ripe kernel is sweet, but difficult of digestion, and seldom 

 eaten except by strangers ; but while it is young and soft, 

 ome will eat it, scraping it out with a spoon after they have 



drank the liquor. While the nuts are young, the liquor is 

 very pleasant ; as they grow old, it becomes more sharp and 

 cooling, and far more agreeable to feverish habits. The 

 kernel is certainly nourishing in a high degree, and is much 

 used in making soups, curries, &c. and may be substituted 

 for almonds, in emulsions and apozems, whenever it can be 

 procured fresh : a pure sweet oil is extracted from it, which 

 is fit both for medicinal and culinary uses : the inhabitants of 

 the Society Isles scent this oil with sandal wood, and other 

 perfumes, in order to anoint their hair and skin with it. Be- 

 side the liquor contained in the fruit, there is a sort of wine 

 drawn from this tree, which looks like whey, and is called 

 toddy : it is sweet and very pleasant, when fresh ; but if not 

 drank within twenty-four hours after it is drawn, will turn 

 sour. From this wine, in its sour state, they who have a great 

 many trees distil a spirit called arack. It is also distilled 

 from rice, but none is so much esteemed for making punch, 

 as this sort made from toddy, or the sap of the Cocoa-nut 

 tree ; although it requires a dash of brandy to hearten it, 

 because it is not strong enough to make good punch of itself. 

 This sort of liquor is principally used about Goa, and has 

 thereby acquired the name of Goa arack. In order to make 

 arack, the trees must be prevented from bearing fruit : and 

 to accomplish this the sprout which produces the nut, and 

 which shoots every month, is cut, and jars fastened to it to 

 receive the liquor ; or the body bored, and a plug put into 

 the orifice, which is occasionally taken out when the liquor 

 is wanted : this liquor is permitted to ferment, and is after- 

 wards distilled into the spirit called arack, which is of a far 

 better quality than that of the same name which is drawn 

 from rice. If this liquor be exposed to the sun, it will soon 

 turn to vinegar. The coat or husk of the shell is composed 

 of strong fibres, and is two or three inches thick. With these 

 fibres, after soaking them in water, sail cloth, cables, and 

 cordage, are made for the largest ships ; as also oakum, and 

 a variety of yarn used in caulking ships, and for other nauti- 

 cal purposes. The shells answer a variety of purposes as 

 household utensils ; and when worn out, are burnt to make 

 lamp-black, for painting, &c. The trunk of this tree is 

 formed into gutters, and occasionally employed for enclosing 

 and roofing outhouses; and being nailed close, is so hardy as 

 to resist the weather for many years. The Indians make boats, 

 rafters, and the whole frame of their houses, from the body 

 ofthistree; the leaves of which they use for thatchingthem, 

 and are wrought into mats, baskets, and many other things, 

 for which osiers are used in Europe. The tender shoots at 

 the top afford a pleasant green or cabbage, which is dearly 

 acquired by the destruction of the tree, which seldom sur- 

 vives their being cut off. This useful tree is common almost 

 every where within the tropics, and is cultivated in both 

 Indies ; but is supposed to be a native of Asia, and is found 

 in a wild state in the Maldives and Ladrones, as well as 

 ip the islands of the South Seas. It is propagated by plant- 

 ing the nuts wherever they are intended to remain ; for it 

 will not bear transplanting unless the operation be performed 

 while the trees are very young, for their roots shoot deep and 

 wide, so that if they be cut or broken the plants seldom sur- 

 vive it, which is * he case with most of the Palms. Where 

 any persons desire to have a plant or two of this sort, they 

 should procure some fresh nuts from the nearest place of 

 their growth, which on their arrival should be buried, lying 

 on one side in a warm bed of tanner's bark, that the young 

 shoot which comes out from one of the three holes may not 

 be injured by wet, covering them at the same time six inches 

 deep with the tan. In this situation, if the nuts be good, 

 they will put out shoots in six weeks or two months, when 



