Coconut is the most extensively grown and used nut in the
world, playing a significant role in the economic, cultural,
and social life of over 80 tropical countries. Currently, coconut
is mainly an oil crop; rich in lauric acid, with a variety
of other uses in addition to commercial oil production
(Harries 1995). Coconut is a member of the monocotyledenous
family Arecaceae (Palmaceae), subfamily Cocoideae
and the monospecific genus Cocos. The existence of related
genera of coconut in South America (Cook 1910; Purseglove
1985) and coconut’s long history in the Eastern hemisphere
has led to controversy over its centre of diversity. Fremond
et al. (1966) summarised the main reasons for considering a
Southeast Asian origin for coconut, and Melanesia is considered
as the most likely region for coconut domestication
along the coasts and islands between Southeast Asia and the
Western Pacific (Harries 1995). According to Whitehead
(1976), coconut spread both west and east from this putative
centre of diversity. Purseglove (1985) suggested an alternative
route for the evolution of coconut from a South American
ancestor that could have been disseminated by ocean
currents from South America to Polynesia