Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
November,  1901.  J 
Fruit  of  Cocos  Nucifera. 
541 
embedded  in  the  endosperm  directly  behind  it,  escapes  in 
sprouting. 
The  testa  of  the  anatropous  seed  (Fig.  J,  T,  and  Fig.  is  a  thin 
coat  of  a  light  brown  color,  closely  united  with  the  endocarp  with- 
out and  the  endosperm  within.  Embedded  in  the  outer  portion 
and  extending  from  the  principal  eye  nearly  to  the  apex  is  the 
raphe,  consisting  of  a  thin  band  of  vascular  tissues  about  I  cm. 
broad,  which  sends  off  branches  in  all  directions,  forming  a  network 
about  the  seed.  The  endosperm  with  the  inner  portion  of  the  testa 
may  be  separated  from  the  outer  testa  and  endocarp  by  introduc- 
ing a  knife  blade  between  the  layers.  By  this  operation  the  veins 
are  split,  part  of  the  vascular  tissue  adhering  to  the  convex  surface 
of  the  inner  testa,  and  the  remainder  to  the  concave  surface  of  the 
outer  testa,  so  that  both  surfaces  are  covered  with  reticulations. 
The  endosperm  or  meat  of  the  cocoanut  {Fig.  j,  Aid.)  is  a  white, 
fleshy  layer,  1-2  cm.  thick,  in  which,  near  the  base,  is  embedded  the 
small  embryo.  While  immature,  the  nut  is  filled  with  a  milky 
liquid  and  has  no  solid  endosperm,  but  as  the  ripening  proceeds 
the  endosperm  is  gradually  formed  and  at  the  same  time  the  milky 
liquid  diminishes  in  quantity  or  entirely  disappears. 
Cocoanuts  yield  food  for  man  and  cattle,  oil,  fiber,  and  other  use- 
ful products.  The  epicarp  and  mesocarp  are  cut  away  from  nuts 
designed  for  export,  although  invariably  a  small  amount  of  the 
mesocarp  with  its  fibers  remains  attached  to  the  shell.  In  re- 
moving the  meat,  the  outer  testa,  as  has  been  stated,  also  adheres 
to  the  hard  shell,  so  that  cocoanut  shells  consist  not  merely  of  endo- 
carp, but  also  of  a  certain  amount  of  mesocarp  and  testa. 
II.  HISTOLOGY. 
The  microscopic  structure  of  the  cocoanut  seed  is  described  by 
Hanausek,1  Harz,2  Moeller,3  Koenig4  and  other  authorities  on  foods 
and  applied  microscopy. 
Cocoanut  fiber  (coir),  which  has  long  been  extensively  employed 
1  Die  Nahrungs-  und  Genussmittel  aus  dem  Pflanzenreiche,  Kassel,  1884,  p. 
155. 
2  Landwirthschaftliche  Samenkunde,  Berlin,  1885,  p.  11 20. 
3  Mikroscopie  der  Nahrungs-  und  Genussmittel  aus  dem  Pflanzenreiche^ 
Berlin,  1886,  p.  241. 
4  Die  Untersuchung  landwirtschaftlich  u.  gewerblich  wichtiger  Stoffe,  Ber- 
lin, 1898,  p.  291. 
