The coconut palm is monoecious, i.e., with male and female flowers on the same inflorescence, called a spadix, that develops within a woody sheathe or spathe. At flowering, the spathe splits lengthwise to expose the spadix. Each spadix consists of a main axis 1-1.5 m (3.3-5 ft) in length with 40- 60 branches or spikelets bearing the flowers. Each spikelet carries from zero to three female flowers ("buttons") at its base and several hundred male flowers above. Thus a spadix will have several thousand male flowers but only Cocos nucifera (coconut) 40-60 buttons. The male flower has six perianth segments surrounding six stamens. The larger female flowers are globose and consist of six perianth segments in two whorls, a tricarpellate ovary and trifid stigma. Following pollination