ABNORMALITIES OF THE COCONUT PALM. 
23 
inflorescence bears the yellow colour, it is not due to any 
effect of fertilization on that particular bunch. It is hoped to 
grow the two palms to maturity, and it may be possible that 
they will ultimately throw some hght on the origin of yellow 
varieties of coconuts. 
Double Coconuts. 
As is generally known, the ovary of the coconut is initially 
trilocular, but only one loculus develops ; the other two are, 
as a rule, suppressed at an early stage, the process usually 
being evident when the young fruit is about an inch cr an inch 
and a half in length. Evidence of its trilocular origin is, how- 
ever, always present in the three micropylar orifices of the nut. 
All coconut planters are well acquainted vfith double ” 
coconuts, i.e., fruits in which two loculi have developed, and 
some state that trilocular nuts are sometimes found. I have 
not seen an example of the latter, but the former are fairly 
common. When the husk is removed, the bilocular nut, in 
the cases I have seen, betrays its abnormal internal structure 
by its shape, it appearing laterally compressed. 
One example in my possession measures inches in length, 
4 inches in breadth in one direction, and inches in breadth 
in the direction perpendicular to the former. Of the three 
external longitudinal ridges, one runs down the middle of one 
of the flatter sides, while the other two diverge more or less 
symmetrically from this median ridge at angles of about 120°. 
The median cross section of the nut is an ellipse, with its 
major axis 4 inches and its minor axis SJ inches. 
The nut is completely divided into two by a longitudinal 
partition perpendicular to the flatter sides, and forming the 
minor axis of the ellipse of cross section. The partition is 
even, except for a slight bulge to one side in the lower half. It 
is composed of the same elements as the external shell, but is 
much thinner. The external shell is from 3 to 4 millimetres 
in thickness, while the partition is only 0*75 to 1 mm. It 
becomes thicker as it meets the outer shell, and rounds off 
into the latter. On the one side it arises along a line which 
corresponds in position with the external ridge, and meets the 
other side midway between the positions of the other two 
