As defined by the Coconut Development Authority of Sri Lanka ā āTheĀ coconut treeĀ (Cocos nucifera) is a member of theĀ familyĀ ArecaceaeĀ (palm family) and the only species of theĀ genusĀ Cocos.Ā The termĀ coconutĀ can refer to the wholeĀ coconut palmĀ or theĀ seed, or theĀ fruit, which, botanically, is aĀ drupe, not aĀ nut. The spellingĀ cocoanutĀ is an archaic form of the word.Ā The term is derived from the 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish wordĀ cocoĀ meaning “head” or “skull”, from the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.ā