Coconut

Coconut – Cocos nucifera. This palm, being tolerant of salty, sandy soils, is often found
growing at the top of beaches in tropical lands, although plantations are also to be found inland. It is essentially a smallholders’ crop. The plant also grows in some subtropical regions, for example Florida. Its origin and domestication have been the subject of much discussion and there is no universal agreement, but a commonly held view is that it originated in the Melanesian area of the Pacific, then was taken in prehistoric times to Asia. Later, it was carried to East Africa, Panama, and the Atlantic coasts of the Americas and Africa. No doubt humans were responsible for much of this dispersal but a number of botanists are of the opinion that the coconut fruits could float in sea water and be dispersed by ocean currents over considerable distances without losing their ability to germinate if a suitable site is reached.

Catuaba

Erythroxylum catuaba
The tree known as the catuaba is a South American species of tree that grows in rain forests. This tree grows in the rain forests of Brazil and belongs to the same plant family as the famous coca plant – cocaine is an extracted from this plant. However, catuaba does not have the narcotic alkaloids that are present in the coca plant. Traditionally, the catuaba bark has been utilized in herbal medicine by the natives of Brazilian rain forests. A different tree, botanically known as the Erythroxylum catuaba is also found growing in the rain forests of South America. This vigorous and hardy small tree bears yellow and orange colored flowers and when in season, it also bears small oval shaped, dark yellow colored and inedible fruits.