I came across these strange Cocos nucifera on the internet;

 

 

Hey Eric,

Only your last post has a photo, and it is of a coconut palm with 3 branches on it at the top of the crown.  I have heard of branching coconut palms, but I think they are VERY RARE from what I understand.  I am not sure if it is a particular variety that can sometimes do that or if it is some type of growing conditions that can cause it.

John

I'm not sure what happened to the other pics. I'll repost them.

 

 

Now they are showing up.

 

All fairly similar to weirdness with Sabal palmetto, except they never grow such long trunks.  I never took a shot of the three-trunked one that, after living in several locations, is at Heathcote Botanical Garden in Fort Pierce.  

I'm not a plant physiologist but the twisting, curling ones remind me of epinasty, which is driven by plant hormones, like auxin, that drive stem elongation.  Some herbicides (ex 2,4,D)  cause epinasty by acting like auxin.  I'm not suggesting these odd coconuts were injured by herbicides (though the ones on golf courses would have been exposed to them) but if their physiology were off a bit, that might explain things.

This feature is seen in Chamaerops humilis too!