King coconut
Variety of coconut
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
King coconut (Cocos nucifera var aurantiaca) is a variety of coconut, native to Sri Lanka, where it is known as Thæmbili (Sinhala: තැඹිලි) also found in India and Indonesia.[1] It has less sugar content than other coconuts. There are several sub-varieties of the king coconut, the most common being the "red dwarf" (kaha thæmbili, commonly referred to as gon thæmbili). The other variety is "Ran Thæmbili",[2] a smaller variety containing about forty nuts in a bunch. The king coconut tree is a shorter variety, and is commonly found growing wild in many areas of the country.[3]
The king coconut water, the liquid endosperm of young coconuts, is a nutritious beverage rich in sugars (mainly reducing sugars), minerals (mainly K+), vitamins (mainly B & C) and amino acids.[4]
Sri Lanka now exports packaged king coconut water in a variety of brands.
Varieties and forms of coconut found in Sri Lanka
Varieties in Sri Lanka include:[5]
| Common name | Variety/form | Resembles | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka Tall | Typica/Typical | 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 Thæmbili | Typica/Gon Thæmbili | Sri Lanka Tall | Ivory-coloured nuts, petioles, and inflorescences. |
| Nawasi | Typica/Nawasi | Sri Lanka Tall | Soft mesocarp edible in the immature nut. Yields soft fibre when mature. |
| Pora pol | Typica/Pora pol | Sri Lanka Tall | Remarkably thick-shelled nuts |
| Ran Thæmbili | Typica/Ran thæmbili | Sri Lanka Tall | Pink-coloured mesocarp in immature fruit and a pink whorl under the perianth. Large nuts |
| Kamandala | Typica/Kamandala | Sri Lanka Tall | Large-sized nuts largest among local forms, and few nuts per bunch 2–5 nuts per bunch. |
| Bodiri | Typica/Bodiri | Sri Lanka Tall | Small-sized nuts, and large number per bunch 30–100 nuts per bunch. Seasonal nut production. |
| Dikiri | Typica/Dikiri | Sri Lanka Tall | Some nuts contain a jelly-like endosperm. Generally only some nuts in a bunch of coconuts are like this and the rest are normal coconuts. |
| 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 Thæmbili | Aurantiaca/Nawasi thæmbili | King Coconut | Similar to King Coconut. Soft and edible mesocarp like Nawasi. |
| Rath / Ran Thæmbili | Aurantiaca/Rath / Ran thæmbili | King Coconut | Pink-coloured mesocarp, and a pink whorl under the perianth. |
| Bothal Thæmbili | Aurantiaca/Bothal thæmbili | King Coconut | Bottle shaped nuts. |
| Green Dwarf / Kundira | 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 / Kundira | Nana/Yellow dwarf or Eburnea | Green dwarf | Nuts with yellow epicarp. |
| Red Dwarf / Kundira | Nana/Red dwarf or Regia | Green dwarf | Nuts with red epicarp. |
| Brown Dwarf / Kundira | Nana/Brown dwarf or Braune | Green dwarf | Nuts with brown epicarp. |