King coconut
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King coconut (Cocos nucifera 'King'), is a variety of Coconut native to Sri Lanka[1] where it is known as Thembili (Sinhala: තැඹිලි). Sweeter than regular coconuts, there are several sub varieties of "Thembili-the most common being the "red dwarf" (kaha thambili, commonly referred to as gon thambili). The other variety is "ran thambili",[2][unreliable source?] a smaller variety containing about forty nuts in a bunch. The king coconut tree is shorter than coconut trees, and are found commonly growing wild in many areas of the country.[3]
King coconut water has been used in Ayurveda. One of the most common uses is a mixture of Aralu powder (Myrobalans) added to the water of one king coconut.[4][unreliable source?]
This Aralu brew according to Sri Lankan ayurvedic practitioners (also known as veda mahattayas) has the necessary properties to "expel heat from the body" therefore resulting in a feeling of freshness[citation needed]
The water of the king coconut is naturally sterile and therefore it is a good substitute for saline[citation needed]. In World War 2 both American and Japanese military doctors injected king coconut water into a patient’s veins instead of sterile glucose solutions.[citation needed]
Sri Lanka now exports packaged king coconut water.
There are many cultivated coconut varieties found in Sri Lanka. Most of them are underway through national coconut research institute. According to a research carried away, they identified these varieties during a recent coconut germplasm exploration mission in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka.
Coconut in Sri Lanka is currently classified into 15 different coconut forms grouped under three varieties, namely 'Typica', 'Nana' and 'Aurantiaca'. The visual morphological features of several new coconut morphotypes were characterized with the objective of including them in the taxonomic classification of coconut in Sri Lanka.[5]
Varieties and forms of coconut found in Sri Lanka
| Common name | Variety/form | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka Tall | (Typical/Typica) | Tall stature, allogamous, heterogeneous, flowers in 6 —7
years, medium sized nuts, 20-25 nuts per bunch, 60-80 nuts per palm per year |
| Gon Thembili | (Typica/Gon thembili) | Similar to Sri Lanka Tall. Ivory colored nuts, petioles and
inflorescences |
| Nawasi | (Typica/Nawasi) | Similar to Sri Lanka Tall. Soft mesocarp - edible in the
immature nut yields soft fiber when mature |
| Pora pol | (Typica/Pora pot) | Similar to Sri Lanka Tall. Remarkably thick shelled nuts |
| Ran Thembii | (Typica/Ran thembili) | Similar to Sri Lanka Tall. Pink coloured mesocarp in
immature fruit and a pink whorl under the perianth. Large nuts |
| Kamandala | (Typica/Kamandala) | Similar to Sri Lanka Tall. Large sized nuts (largest among
local forms), and few nuts per bunch (2-5 nuts per bunch) |
| Bodiri | (Typica/Bodiri) | Similar to Sri Lanka Tall. Small sized nuts and large
number per bunch (30-100 nuts per bunch). Seasonal nut production |
| Dikiri | (Typica/Dikiri) | Similar to Sri Lanka Tall. Some nuts contain a jelly-like
endosperm |
| King Coconut | (Aurantiaca/King coconut) | Intermediate stature, autogamous, homogeneous, fruits in 6-7 years, seasonal flower production, medium sized nuts with orange epicarp and sweet nut water, 25-50 nuts per bunch |
| Nawasi Thembili | (Aurantiaca/Nawasi thembili) | Similar to King Coconut. Soft and edible mesocarp like
Nawasi |
| Rathran Thembili | (Aurantiaca/'Rathran thembili) | Similar to King Coconut. Pink coloured mesocarp and a
pink whorl under the perianth |
| Green Dwarf | (Nana/Green dwarf or pumila) | Dwarf stature, autogamous, homogeneous, fruits in 3-4
years, small sized nuts with green epicarp. low copra content, 80-150 nuts per palm per year |
| Yellow Dwarf | (Nana/Yellow dwarf or eburnea) | Similar to Green dwarf. Nuts with yellow epicarp |
| Red Dwarf | (Nana/Red dwarf or regia) | Similar to Green dwarf. Nuts with red epicarp |
| Brown Dwarf | (Nana/Brown dwarf or braune) | Similar to Green dwarf. Nuts with a brown epicarp |
See also
References
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