Cauliflory is a
botanical
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
term referring to plants that
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...
and
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...
from their main stems or woody trunks, rather than from new growth and shoots.
This can allow trees to be
pollinated or have their
seeds dispersed by animals that climb on trunks and sturdy limbs to feed on the nectar and fruits.
Plants may instead have fruit which drop from the canopy and ripen only after they reach the ground, an alternative "strategy" to cauliflory. (Note that the concept of cauliflory includes that of
ramiflory
In plant biology, ramiflory is the production of fruit and flowers on the woody branches of a plant, formed in a previous season. The corresponding condition for the trunk of the plant is known as cauliflory
Cauliflory is a botanical term r ...
.
[)
]
Families, genera and (some) species
(list incomplete)
* Moraceae
**''Ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extendi ...
'': '' F. racemosa'' (cluster fig), '' F. sansibarica'' (knobby fig), '' F. sur'' (Cape fig), '' F. sycomorus'' (sycamore fig)
**'' Artocarpus'': '' A. 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 sp ...
**'' Syzygium'': '' S. moorei'', '' S. cormiflorum''
**''Plinia
''Plinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae described by Linnaeus in 1753. It is native to Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Cent ...
'': '' P. cauliflora''
*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 okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familia ...
**'' Theobroma'': '' T. cacao'' (cacao), '' T. grandiflorum'' (cupuaçu)[ (and possibly others)
**'' Cola'':][ '' C. mossambicensis'' (and possibly others)][
**'']Crescentia
''Crescentia'' (calabash tree, huingo, krabasi, or kalebas) is a genus of six species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to southern North America, the Caribbean, Central America northern South America. The species are moder ...
'': '' C. cujete'' (calabash tree).[
**'' Pavonia'': '' P. strictiflora''
*
**'' Cercis'': '' C. siliquastrum''][ and '' D.spectabile''][
* Sapindaceae
**'' Pancovia'':][ '' P. golungensis'' (false soap-berry)][
*]Caricaceae
The Caricaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales, found primarily in tropical regions of Central and South America and Africa. They are usually short-lived evergreen pachycaul shrubs or small to medium-sized trees growing ...
**'' Carica papaya'' (papaya)
* Putranjivaceae
**'' Drypetes natalensis'' (Natal ironplum) (and possibly others)[
* Sapotaceae
**'' Englerophytum magalismontanum'' (stamvrug)
* Stilbaceae
**'' Halleria lucida''][ (tree fuchsia)
* Annonaceae
**'']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 ramiflory, ramiflorous, cauliflory, cauliflorous or both.
The type species for the ...
'' (all species are ramiflorous, cauliflorous or both.)[ Cauliflorous species are: '' U. submontana''.][ '' U. sessiflora'',][ '' U. congolana'',][ '' U. guineensis'',][ '' U. vanderystii'',][ '' U. noldeae'',][ '' U. doica'',][ '' U. letestui'',][ '' U. bakeriana'',][ '' U. solheidii'',][
**''Polyalthia cauliflora''
* Oxalidaceae
** ''Averrhoa'' ''bilimbi'' (bilimbi)]Thymelaeaceae
The Thymelaeaceae are a cosmopolitan 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 Website, St. Louis. It ...
** Phaleria clerodendron (scented daphne)
Image gallery
File:Syzygium moorei fruit1.JPG, '' Syzygium moorei'' fruit
File:CauliflorousFig2804223800 39b6bb130b o.jpg, ''Ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extendi ...
'' (fig)
File:CauliflorousCoffee4840316190 3906b1899c o.jpg, Coffee Plant ('' Coffea'')
File:Albero di Giuda - fiori.JPG, '' Cercis siliquastrum''
File:Goethea strictiflora2 ies.jpg, '' Pavonia strictiflora''
File:Castanospermumaustrale2.jpg, ''Castanospermum australe
''Castanospermum australe'' (Moreton Bay chestnut or blackbean), the only species in the genus ''Castanospermum'', is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to the east coast of Australia in Queensland and New South Wales, and to the ...
''
File:Hippophaë rhamnoides fruits3.jpg, '' Hippophaë rhamnoides''
File:Matadecacao.jpg, '' Theobroma cacao''
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 genus '' Acnistus''. Common names include galliner ...
''
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''
See also
* Ramiflory
In plant biology, ramiflory is the production of fruit and flowers on the woody branches of a plant, formed in a previous season. The corresponding condition for the trunk of the plant is known as cauliflory
Cauliflory is a botanical term r ...
* Spur
References
External links
The Truth About Cauliflory - Flowers That Bloom On Tree Trunks
Plant morphology
{{botany-stub