Cauliflory is a botanical term referring to plants that flower and fruit from their main stems or woody trunks, rather than from new growth and shoots. It is rare in temperate regions but common in tropical forests. There have been several strategies to distinguish among types of cauliflory historically, including the location or age of branch where

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

s grow, whether inflorescences attach to

stolon In biology, a stolon ( from Latin ''wikt:stolo, stolō'', genitive ''stolōnis'' – "branch"), also known as a runner, is a horizontal connection between parts of an organism. It may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton. Typically, animal ...

s or branches, and whether axillary nodes or adventitious nodes develop into reproductive tissues. Cauliflory is a non- homologous phenomenon with several different sources of development and evolutionary value. The development of buds in axillary cauliflorous species occurs through either the re-use of the same position or old tissue over seasons of growth or

release Release may refer to: * Art release, the public distribution of an artistic production, such as a film, album, or song * Legal release, a legal instrument * News release, a communication directed at the news media * Release (ISUP), a code to i ...

from

dormancy Dormancy is a period in an organism's Biological life cycle, life cycle when growth, development, and (in animals) physical activity are temporarily stopped. This minimizes metabolism, metabolic activity and therefore helps an organism to conserv ...

. In both cases, vascularization of the bud must occur from pre-existing tissue, such as the

pith Pith, or medulla, is a tissue in the stems of vascular plants. Pith is composed of soft, spongy parenchyma cells, which in some cases can store starch. In eudicotyledons, pith is located in the center of the stem. In monocotyledons, it ex ...

. In '' Cercis canadensis,'' dormant buds break annually in a

sympodial In botany, sympodial growth is a bifurcating branching pattern where one branch develops more strongly than the other, resulting in the stronger branches forming the primary shoot and the weaker branches appearing laterally. A sympodium, als ...

pattern. If flowers develop adventitiously, they form similarly to epicormic tissues and may be reactive to immediate environmental conditions. In certain species of ''

Ficus ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family (biology), family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few spe ...

,'' flowers may be produced from axillary buds in young plants and change to adventitious buds later. One frequently suggested hypothesis for the evolution of cauliflory is to allow trees to be pollinated or have their seeds dispersed by animals, especially bats, that climb on trunks and sturdy limbs to feed on the nectar and fruits. Some species may instead have fruit which drops from the canopy and ripen only after they reach the ground, an alternative strategy termed nonfunctionally caulicarpic fruits. In ''

,'' there is not an association between the evolution of cauliflory as an

apomorphy In phylogenetics, an apomorphy (or derived trait) is a novel Phenotypic trait, character or character state that has evolution, evolved from its ancestral form (or Plesiomorphy and symplesiomorphy, plesiomorphy). A synapomorphy is an apomorphy sh ...

and ecological associations. Alternative hypotheses have focused on competition for sugar and minerals between flowers and young leaves, mechanical support for larger flowers and fruits particularly in '' Atrocarpus'' and ''

Durio ''Durio'' is a genus of plants in the family Malvaceae. Several species produce an edible fruit known as durian, the most common species being ''Durio zibethinus'', with eight others producing edible fruit. Taxonomy Early works describe ''Dur ...

'', and evolutionary theory built on the plant as a

metapopulation A metapopulation consists of a group of spatially separated populations of the same species which interact at some level. The term metapopulation was coined by Richard Levins in 1969 to describe a model of population dynamics of insect pests in a ...

and differential rates of mutations across large plant bodies. An extreme version is flagelliflory where long, whip-like branches descend from the main trunk and bear all the inflorescences. The branches grow to and along the ground and even below it. As a result, the plant or tree's flowers can appear to emerge from the soil. Examples are known mostly from the plant families

Annonaceae The Annonaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs, or rarely lianas commonly known as the custard apple family or soursop family. With 108 accepted genera and about 2400 known species, it is the largest ...

and

Moraceae Moraceae is a family of flowering plants comprising about 48 genera and over 1100 species, and is commonly known as the mulberry or fig family. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however, their ...

such as a species of ''Desmopsisterriflora'' but also include ''

Couroupita guianensis ''Couroupita guianensis'', known by a variety of common names including cannonball tree, is a deciduous tree in the flowering plant family Lecythidaceae. It is native to lowland tropical rainforests of Central and South America, from Costa Rica, ...

'' (

Lecythidaceae The Lecythidaceae ( ) comprise a family of about 20 genera and 250–300 species of woody plants native to tropical South America, Africa (including Madagascar), Asia and Australia. Well known members of the family include the cannonball tree ...

) and the cactus ''

Weberocereus tunilla ''Weberocereus tunilla'' is an epiphytic cactus native to Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. It is the type species of ''Weberocereus''. Its flower emits an unpleasant musky smell after opening and is pollinated by bats. The flowers are an example ...

'' (

Cactaceae A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

Cauliflorous species

List of some species of cauliflorous plants with articles (list may be incomplete) *

**''

Uvariopsis ''Uvariopsis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Annonaceae. The genus is unique to Africa, and consists of about 18 species, all of which are either ramiflorous, cauliflorous or both. The type species for the genus is '' Uvariopsi ...

'' (all species are ramiflorous, cauliflorous or both.) Cauliflorous species are: '' U. submontana''. '' U. congolana'', '' U. guineensis'', '' U. vanderystii'', **'' Piptostigma'' **'' Annonidium mannii'' *

Aristolochiaceae The Aristolochiaceae () are a family, the birthwort family, of flowering plants with seven genera and about 400 known species belonging to the order Piperales. The type genus is '' Aristolochia'' L. Description They are mostly perennial, her ...

**'' Aristolochia arborea'' *

Bignoniaceae Bignoniaceae () is a Family (biology), family of flowering plants in the Order (biology), order Lamiales commonly known as the bignonias or trumpet vines.Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. ''Flowering Plant ...

**'' Adenocalymma'' **'' Amphitecna,

Parmentiera ''Parmentiera'' is a genus of plants in the family Bignoniaceae. Species include: * ''Parmentiera aculeata'' (Kunth) L. O. Williams — guajilote (Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua) * ''Parmentiera cere ...

, Crescentia'' **'' Rhodocolea, Colea'' * Caricaceae **''

Carica papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae, and also the name of its fruit. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within ...

'' (papaya) * Cunoniaceae **'' Davidsonia'' * Ebenaceae **''

Diospyros ''Diospyros'' is a genus of over 700 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. Individual species valued for their hard, heavy, dark timb ...

'' *

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

**''

Cercis siliquastrum ''Cercis siliquastrum'', commonly known as the Judas tree or Judas-tree, is a small deciduous species of redbud in the flowering plant family Fabaceae which is noted for its prolific display of deep pink flowers in spring. It is native to South ...

'' **''

Castanospermum australe ''Castanospermum'' is a monotypic genus (i.e. a genus that contains only one species) in the legume family Fabaceae. The sole species is ''Castanospermum australe'', commonly known as Moreton Bay chestnut or black bean. It is native to rainfo ...

'' **'' Cynometra cauliflora'' *

**''

'' (cannonball tree) **'' Grias'' *

Malvaceae Malvaceae (), or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include Theobroma cacao, cacao, Cola (plant), cola, cotton, okra, Hibiscus sabdariffa, ...

**''

Theobroma cacao ''Theobroma cacao'' (cacao tree or cocoa tree) is a small ( tall) evergreen tree in the Malvaceae family. Its seedscocoa beansare used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate. Although the tree is native to the tropi ...

'' (cacao), '' T. grandiflorum'' (cupuaçu) (and possibly others) **'' Cola mossambicensis'' **'' Crescentia cujete'' (calabash tree). **'' Pavonia strictiflora'' **

Durian The durian () is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus ''Durio''. There are 30 recognized species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. ''Durio zibethinus'', native to Borneo and Sumatra, is the only species ...

Meliaceae Meliaceae, the mahogany family, is a flowering plant family of mostly trees and shrubs (and a few herbaceous plants, mangroves) in the order Sapindales. They are characterised by alternate, usually pinnate leaves without stipules, and by syncarp ...

**'' Didymocheton spectabilis'' (Kohekohe) **'' Epicharis parasitica'' *

**'' Ficus racemosa'' (cluster fig), '' F. sansibarica'' (knobby fig), '' F. sur'' (Cape fig), '' F. sycomorus'' (sycamore fig), '' F. coronata'' (sandpaper fig) **'' Artocarpus heterophyllus'' (jackfruit), '' A. integer'' (chempedak), '' A. altilis'' (breadfruit) *

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae (), the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All ...

**'' Syzygium branderhorstii'', '' S. cormiflorum'', '' S.erythrocalyx'', '' S. moorei'' **'' Plinia cauliflora'' *

Oxalidaceae The Oxalidaceae, or wood sorrel family, are a small family of five genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs and small trees, with the great majority of the 570 species in the genus ''Oxalis'' (wood sorrels). Members of this family typically have divid ...

**''

Averrhoa bilimbi ''Averrhoa bilimbi'' (commonly known as bilimbi, cucumber tree, or tree sorrel) is a fruit-bearing tree of the genus ''Averrhoa'', family (biology), family Oxalidaceae. It is believed to be originally native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia but ...

'' (bilimbi) *

Sapindaceae The Sapindaceae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales known as the soapberry family. It contains 138 genera and 1,858 accepted species. Examples include Aesculus, horse chestnut, maples, ackee and lychee. The ...

**'' Chytranthus'' **'' Pancovia'': *

Sapotaceae 240px, '' Madhuca longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' in Narsapur, Medak district, India The Sapotaceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to the order (biology)">order Ericales">family (biology)">family of flowering plants belonging to th ...

**'' Englerophytum magalismontanum'' (stamvrug) **'' Omphalocarpum'' * Stilbaceae **'' Halleria lucida'' (tree fuchsia) *

Surianaceae The Surianaceae are a family of plants in the order Fabales with five genera and eight known species. It has an unusual distribution: the genus '' Recchia'' is native to Mexico, and the sole member of '' Suriana'', '' S. maritima'', is a c ...

**'' Recchia simplicifolia'' *

Thymelaeaceae The Thymelaeaceae are a cosmopolitan family (biology), family of flowering plants composed of 50 genera (listed below) and 898 species.Zachary S. Rogers (2009 onwards)A World Checklist of Thymelaeaceae (version 1) Missouri Botanical Garden Webs ...

**'' Phaleria clerodendron'' (scented daphne)

Image gallery

File:Syzygium moorei fruit1.JPG, '' Syzygium moorei'' fruit File:CauliflorousFig2804223800 39b6bb130b o.jpg, ''

'' (fig) File:CauliflorousCoffee4840316190 3906b1899c o.jpg, Coffee Plant (''

Coffea ''Coffea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. ''Coffea'' species are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. The seeds of some species, called coffee beans, are used to flavor variou ...

'') File:Albero di Giuda - fiori.JPG, ''

'' File:Goethea strictiflora2 ies.jpg, '' Pavonia strictiflora'' File:Castanospermumaustrale2.jpg, ''

'' File:Hippophaë rhamnoides fruits3.jpg, '' Hippophaë rhamnoides'' File:Matadecacao.jpg, ''

'' File:Plinia cauliflora.jpg, Jabuticaba ('' Plinia cauliflora'') File:Englerophytum magalismontanum02.jpg, '' Englerophytum magalismontanum'' File:Halleria lucida TreeFuchsia flowers 3.JPG, '' Halleria lucida'' File:Acnistus arborescens, known as Hollow Heart - Flickr - Dick Culbert.jpg, ''

Acnistus arborescens ''Iochroma arborescens'' is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Iochroma'', belonging to the nightshade family Solanaceae. Formerly it was considered the single species in the Monotypic taxon, monotypic genus ''Acnistus''. Common names i ...

'' File:Latua pubiflora Edinburgh cauliflory.jpg, '' Latua pubiflora'' File:Fruiting kohekohe trunk - portrait.jpg, Kohekohe ('' Dysoxylum spectabile'') File:Scented daphne in flower after rain.jpg, Scented daphne ''Phaleria clerodendron''

References

External links

{{Wiktionary
Cauliflory in Malaysian Rainforest Trees
Plant morphology

Cauliflorous species

Image gallery

See also

References

External links