Re: How the water gets into the coconut

Felix,

This is not a foolish question and the answer may be quite complex. I have asked several people and read several papers since reading your question. First off, the "water" in a coconut is liquid endosperm and is often referred to as "coconut milk". It nourishes the developing embryo and dries up or is readsorbed when the coconut embryo is fully developed. The seed is attached to the mother plant by a structure called the funiculus, much like the umbilical cord connecting the fetus to it's mother in animals. Vascular tissue allows water and nutrients to pass from the palm into the coconut. As the seed gets closer and closer to completing development this connection is cut off and the "water" not used in seed development is readsorbed by the coconut. This was a pretty good question. Keep asking questions.

Cyndy

P.S. I used this on my Plant Growth and Development final exam. Thanks for asking such a thought provoking question.