Drought is the main climatic limitation to coconut palm (Cocos nuciferaL.) production. To identify early screening parameters for drought resistance, physiological responses to water deficit were investigated for the first time using containerized young plants grown outside. Three varieties were studied: 'West Coast Tall' (drought avoiding), 'Malayan Yellow Dwarf' (drought susceptible), and their progeny, the hybrid 'PB 121' (drought resistant). Leaf water status (relative water content, leaf water potential) and leaf gas exchange parameters (stomatal conductance to water vapor, net photosynthetic rate, and leaf internal CO2concentration) were measured throughout a drying cycle induced by withholding watering. On fully hydrated plants, the sensitivity of stomata to atmospheric water vapor deficit was also investigated. In the three varieties, stomatal conductance to water vapor declined before leaf water status parameters were affected. The existence of a root-to-shoot communication system was proposed. Net photosynthetic rate was highly dependent on stomatal aperture, but nonstomatal factors also participated in the reduction of CO2fixation. Since gas exchange rates were equally sensitive to drought in the three varieties, they could not be used as screening parameters for drought resistance. Under severe drought stress, both relative water content and leaf water potential differed significantly among populations. 'West Coast Tall' maintained a higher leaf water status than 'Malayan Yellow Dwarf'. Remarkably, the water status parameters of 'PB 121' were intermediate between those of the two parents. Similar ranking was obtained in experiments with excised leaflets. The high reproductibility of the results suggests that leaf water status parameters might be useful as early selection criteria for drought resistance in coconut palm.Key words:Cocos nuciferaL., gas exchange, leaf water status parameters, water deficit, water relations.