<P> The coconut tree ( Cocos nucifera ) is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae ) and the only living species of the genus Cocos . The term `` coconut '' ( or the archaic `` cocoanut '' ) can refer to the whole coconut palm , the seed , or the fruit , which botanically is a drupe , not a nut . The term is derived from the 16th - century Portuguese and Spanish word coco meaning `` head '' or `` skull '' after the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features . </P>
<P> The coconut tree ( Cocos nucifera ) is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae ) and the only living species of the genus Cocos . The term `` coconut '' ( or the archaic `` cocoanut '' ) can refer to the whole coconut palm , the seed , or the fruit , which botanically is a drupe , not a nut . The term is derived from the 16th - century Portuguese and Spanish word coco meaning `` head '' or `` skull '' after the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features . </P>
what kind of tree does a coconut grow on
what kind of tree does a coconut grow on
The coconut tree ( Cocos nucifera )
The coconut tree ( Cocos nucifera )