Historically, the coconut was known as Nux indica (the Indian nut) and also
the Nargil tree, the tree of life. Western literature has also mentioned the
Malayalam name Tenga for the coconut palm which relates to Tamil ‘Tennai’,
believed to be of Sri Lankan origin. Its geographical dispersion was aided
by travelers and traders. Botanically, the coconut palm is a monocotyledon
and belongs to the order Arecaceae, family Palmae and the species is known
as Cocos nucifera Linn.