Dwarf coconut
Dwarf coconut is a range of varieties of coconut palm. The use of the word “dwarf” here does not refer to the tree’s size, as it can reach heights of 50-100 feet which is certainly not a dwarf. Instead, the dwarf designation refers to the size in which it will begin to produce the coveted or harvestable coconut.[1]
Dwarf varieties
Other types of dwarfs are: (in alphabetical order)
- Cameroon Red Dwarf
- Chowghat Dwarf Green
- Chowghat Dwarf Orange
- Coconino
- Eburnea
- Equatorial Guinea Green Dwarf
- Equatorial Guinea Yellow Dwarf
- Fiji Dwarf: form a large bulb at the lower stem
- Gangabondam
- Ghana Yellow Dwarf
- Gon Thembili
- Haari Papua
- Kelapa Gading
- Kelapa Radja
- Laccadive Dwarf
- Lakshadweep Dwarf
- Maldive Dwarf
- Mangipod
- Mu-see-Keo
- N'uleka
- Nok-koom
- Pilipog
- Pugai
- Pumila
- Rath Thembli
- Regia
Malayan Dwarf
The Malayan Dwarf is a variety of dwarf coconut. The palm is classified based on the nut color: ivory yellow nuts, apricot red nuts, and green nuts.[2] The palm's resistance to the Lethal Yellowing disease is the characteristic that makes it to be one of the important dwarf types in the world.[2]
Recognition of the Malayan Dwarf's resistance to lethal yellowing was in 1956 at Round Hill, Jamaica, where the Malayan Dwarfs affected by the disease was only a very small percentage.[2]
Hybrid varieties
The Maypan coconut palm is a DwarfxTall hybrid between the Malayan Dwarf and Panama Tall.[2] The DwarfxTall hybrid between the Malayan Dwarf (yellow) and West African Tall is locally known as Mawa, in Ivory Coast, Mawa is known as Port-Bouet-121.[2]
References
Bibliography
- P.K. Thampan, V.T. Markose. 1973. The Dwarf Coconut. Directorate of Coconut Development, Cochin.