Question

Prepare a Fact file of any of the following plants/trees, using the points given.

[coconut / neem / basil / cactus / apple]

• Name of Plant/Tree _________
• Scientific name ___________
• Region and climate ___________
• Features ___________
• Growth _____________
• Size, shape and colour ____________
• Uses __________
• Any special feature ________

Answer 1

Profile of the Coconut Tree and Fruit

1. Names: 
   English name Coconut;
   Sanskrit name - Narikela;
   Hindi name - Nariyal.
2. Scientific name: 
   cocos nucifera; belongs to the family 'Palmae' or the palm family (also known as Arecaceae).
3. Region and Climate:
   Tropical and sub tropical coastal regions, especially near sea beaches.
4. Features:
   i. Fruit: has a thick fibrous coir over the hard shell: inside the kernel colourless liquid;
   ii. leaves: feather-shaped and split into lots of leaflets.
5. Growth: 
   Coconut trees can grow from 15 to 30 metres in height in plantations
6. Size and shape:
   Coconut fruits are oval in shape. The trunk of the coconut tree is ringed with scars where old leaves have fallen. The top of the trunk is crowned with a rosette of leaves. The leaves can grow up to 7 feet long and can have 250 leaflets.
7. Uses:
   i. Coir weaving and leaves: matting, thatching and
   ii. Hard outer shell: about 10 to 15 inches in length: used to make articles such as spoons, eating utensils, charcoal, etc.
   iii. Inside of the shell: lined with a white edible layer called the meat: used for cooking or extraction of oil, making of soaps or cosmetics: also to make chemical Industrial and medicinal products: contains coconut water which is very nutritious.
   iv. Husk and leaves: used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating
8. Any special feature: 
   Known in India as kalpavriksha' or the tree of heaven' because of its many uses: the term coconut is derived from the 16th century Portuguese and Spanish. meaning grinning face from the three small holes on the coconut shell that resemble human facial features.