A new amazing book about coconut varieties in French Polynesia!

Click on the picture to see
the online version in English

Coconut tree varieties & forms in French Polynesia

A book co-published with the Direction of Agriculture of French Polynesia (DAG) , produced thanks to partnerships with the AGAP Institute, CIRAD and Diversiflora Expertise.

Collective authors: Roland Bourdeix, William Ellacott, Herenui Chant, Serge Amiot and Teddy Oopa. 

This magnificently illustrated book constitutes the most accomplished version of a series of catalogues aimed at describing coconut palm varieties. These successive works were produced over a period of more than twenty years.

Click on the picture to see
the online version in French

Compared to previous catalogue, the new format, content and illustrations have been adapted to a wide audience. This new book will interest people curious about plant diversity, gardeners, farmers, agricultural technicians, and also decision-makers in charge of the conservation of biological diversity and environmental protection.

The paper version of this book is available only in French version and can be bought at the publishing house "Au vent des îles" in Tahiti.

Below are examples of two extraordinary varieties of coconut found and described in Polynesia. The first is a Compact Red Dwarf whose young fruits are pink inside, the second is a "Snake coconut" whose trunk undulates instead of growing straight.

.

.

Below are the links to the two other coconut varietal catalogs produced by the author during the period 2005 to 2020.

Click on the image for details

.

Click on the image for details

The first and unique Global Coconut Germplasm Catalogue

Click on the image of here
to download the full document

Bourdeix R., P. Batugal, J.T. Oliver and M.L.C. George. 2010. Catalogue of Conserved Coconut Germplasm. Serdang, Malaysia: Bioversity International.

Document no longer available on CGIAR-Bioversity website nor on COGENT Website as of October 29th 2025.

The idea of making an illustrated coconut germplasm catalogue as a printed book was first presented by R. Bourdeix in 1993 to the COGENT Steering Committee meeting held in Montpellier, France. Since 2000, the COGENT network, Bioversity and CIRAD have been collaborating to develop and publish this catalogue of coconut germplasm.
The Catalogue of Conserved coconut germplasm provides a wealth of information, both as text and illustrations. The descriptive material will help users to identify varieties they already hold, while the information on evaluation and uses will help them to select new materials to suit various purposes, whether as promising parents for breeding programmes or for immediate use at the farm and community level. Both scientific evaluations relating to variables such as pest and disease responses and yield are provided, as well as information on more traditional uses and cultural aspects.

Here are the lists of coconut germplasm prepared by Dr R. Bourdeix in 2012. As of 2024, these global lists have not been updated since.

• 419 cultivars ranked by names
• 419 cultivars ranked by origin
• 855 populations ranked by names
• 855 populations ranked by origin
• 1680 accessions ranked per name
• 1680 accessions ranked per site

The catalogue presents comprehensive and sound scientific content aiming at increasing awareness of the coconut and its diversity. The information in the catalogue has been presented in a popular manner so that it is attractive and understandable enough to the general public, while retaining its technical rigour to be appreciated by scientists, researchers and students.

Authors: Bourdeix R, Batugal P, Oliver JT, George MLC (editors)
Publication Year: 2010
ISBN: 978-92-9043-831-1
Language: English

Hereunder is the link to heavy version of the catalogue PDF files, allowing a good printing. Unfortunately, the old COGENT website was discontinued, and these links are no longer working.

Otherwise a lighter complete version of this catalogue can be downloaded here.  

This lighter complete version was also transferred by R. Bourdeix to CIRAD agritrop database on June 20th 2025: https://agritrop.cirad.fr/561440/

Note: there is a mistake to correct on the reference given page 2 of the book, this could be done by CGIAR Bioversity.

Heavy Version

Introduction

Catalogue cover page and citation (3.9MB)

Table of Contents, Foreword, Introduction, Nomenclature, Catalogue structure and layout, List of coconut germplasm (3.8MB)

Annexes

Annex 1 (0.2MB) - List of Coconut germplasm registered in the CGRD Database.

Annex 2 (1.9MB) - Guidelines for producing coconut photos.

Africa

Benin (1.2MB); Cameroon 1 (2.0MB); Cameroon 2 (1.9MB); Comoro (2.0MB); Cote d'Ivoire 1 (2.5MB); Cote d'Ivoire 2 (1.4MB); Mozambique (1.9MB); Nigeria (2.3MB); Seychelles (1.5MB); Tanzania 1 (2.0MB); Tanzania 2 (2.4MB); Trinidad & Tobago (1.6MB)

Americas

Brazil (2.7MB); Panama 1 (2.4MB); Panama 2 (1.3MB); Suriname (1.6MB)

Asia

Cambodia (2.8MB); India 1 (2.2MB); India 2 (2.4MB); India 3 (3.1MB); India 4 (2.4MB); India 5 (1.7MB); India 6 (2.6MB); India 7 (2.1MB); Indonesia 1 (2.9MB); Indonesia 2 (1.7MB); Indonesia 3 (1.6MB); Indonesia 4 (1.7MB); Indonesia 5 (1.9MB); Indonesia 6 (1.2MB); Malaysia 1 (2.5MB); Malaysia 2 (2.4MB); Malaysia 3 (2.0MB); Philippines 1 (2.1MB); Philippines 2 (1.9MB); Philippines 3 (1.9MB); Philippines 4 (2.0MB); Philippines 5 (3.0MB); Philippines 6 (2.1MB); Philippines 7 (1.7MB); Sri Lanka 1 (3.2MB); Sri Lanka 2 (1.8MB); Thailand 1 (1.9MB); Thailand 2 (1.8MB); Vietnam (1.5MB)

Oceania (Pacific)

Fiji (2.4MB); Marshall Islands (2.0MB); Papua New Guinea 1 (3.2MB); Papua New Guinea 2 (1.9MB); Samoa (2.6MB); Solomon Islands (2.3MB); Tonga (2.4MB); Vanuatu (3.0MB)

Including French Polynesia, Mayotte, and New Caledonia (French territories)

France 1 (2.9MB); France 2 (2.8MB); France 3 (1.8MB); France 4 (1.8MB)