Mutant Coconut

Description:

Coconut palms have a single trunk and normally do not develop lateral branches. The odds of having a branching coconut is not only one in amillion--this I found out at the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) office in Bicol, Philippines. One in a million is an understatement. There are 71 million coconut trees spread throughout the Bicol region of which 59 million trees are still productive. The two- headed productive coconut in Bulusan included. It is one of only two multi-headed coconut in the region reported to the PCA bringing the ratio of occurrence to 1 is to 35million coconut trees. The other reported mutant does not produce viable germinating coconut seeds while this mutant (in photo) have already produced coconut seedlings grown in natural conditions.

Habitat:

The two-headed coconut tree grows in a 3-hectare farm patch located in a slightly elevated hilly place called Kapilihan overlooking the Poblacion of Bulusan. It is planted with coconuts of different varieties and few volunteer growth of Pili trees. (Coconut farm patch with assorted pili trees and farm crops. Tropics). Bicol Region Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Notes:

The Bulusan two-headed coconut tree on the other hand is showing great potential in copra production by producing double than that of the regular single-trunked coconut. Obviously the heavy clusters of maturing coconuts in each branch are proof enough. The size of the nuts is also of comparable quality with the regular. If a regular can produce 60 nuts per year, this one can produce 120.