XII, c. 1 Beccari: Origin and Dispersal of Cocos Nucifera 33 
carried thither the coconut palm together with the banana; but 
I positively cannot admit that they found the coconut palm on 
the American shores of the Pacific, carried it back with them, 
and disseminated it throughout Polynesia and tropical Asia. 
The difficulty brought forward by Cook, that the coconut palm 
could not have been introduced into America by the Spaniards 
or by the Portuguese, because the fruits could not have preserved 
their germinative faculties during so long a voyage, has no force ; 
because. Cook’s assertion to the contrary, coconuts can withstand 
several months’ dryness, especially if kept under the influence 
of sea air; moreover, they can germinate while hanging in the 
rigging of a ship. It is exceedingly common in the Malayan 
islands to see a bundle of coconuts sprouting while hanging 
to the posts of a hut. 
With respect to the origin of Cocos 7iucifera and its supposed 
native land among the salt-bearing regions of eastern Peru, 
Cook concludes by saying (II, p. 307) : 
“It would be reasonable to turn to these saline districts of South America 
if any attempts were to be made to definitely ascertain the original home 
of the coconut by finding it in a truly wild state.” Fortunately the author 
hastens to add: “Such a discovery is hardly to be expected, because of the 
probability that localities suited to the spontaneous growth of coconuts 
would have attracted human inhabitants, even in very early times.” 
But in that case will Mr. Cook tell us why he holds that in such 
localities Cocos nucifera could have constituted itself as a specific 
entity, have grown, and reproduced itself, without the assistance 
of man, but yet not have done so on the oceanic coral islands? 
And again ; 
We may hope, however, to find a series of local varieties or subspecies 
of the coconut palm in these interior localities, varieties that will be more 
hardy and vigorous than the maritime forms of the palm cultivated in the 
humid parts of the Tropics, and more likely to thrive under semi-tropical 
conditions. 
Such a search can very well be carried out by some enterprising 
botanist; but, as a matter of fact, no one has met with such 
forms or varieties of Cocos nucifera in the regions mentioned. 
I do not claim, however, that such an event is absolutely im- 
probable or that varieties and species of Cocos as yet unknown 
to botanists, possessing more affinity with Cocos nucifera than 
have any of the other Cocoineae known hitherto, may not be 
found in such localities; but such a find would be a less ex- 
traordinary thing than that the big fruits of the coconut palm 
should have crossed the Andes and thence have been dispersed 
among the islands of the Pacific. 
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