Hello, as an alledged pro on coconuts trough personel experience throughout WW II____ \coco nuts evolved as a maritime product, It is almost invariably found next to the ocean,, It has evolved with it's own method of distributation. The coconut it+self is composed wth a hard shell containing the nutriends for a new tree, whils it is made impervious to any action by way of the the coir, which further adds to it's boyancyThis in tun is surrounded by a tough outer casing, The cocos method to propagation is simple, it just floats arounf in the sea - the reason for the coir = until it finally reaches land where it can survie on the inner contents long enough to comence grwing on it's own. As suject to the whims of ocean currents it can literraly float around the world so I would question a positive date for it.s existance by such and such a date.
Anyway the coir serves a a bouyancy and long term protection against the effects of the ocean water. Once seen it is extremely unlikely that you would mistak iit for anything else.
Once dring the war I slept in a french planters Coprs shed for a week, avoiding detection, I learned to eat and drink coconuts, The ripe coconut is loaded with oil, and they acted the same as your grandmother's dose of cod liver oil. I quickly learned that you only drank the green coconut milk. In the Phillippines they called it TUBA. a mild alcoholic drink.
.
