Cauliflory is a

botanical Botany, also called plant science (or plant sciences), 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 ...

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 mechanism ...

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 Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, ...

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 re ...

Families, genera and (some) species

(list incomplete) *

Moraceae The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 38 genera and over 1100 species. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however ...

**''

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 extending int ...

'': '' F. racemosa'' (cluster fig), '' F. sansibarica'' (knobby fig), '' F. sur'' (Cape fig), '' F. sycomorus'' (sycamore fig) **''

Artocarpus ''Artocarpus'' is a genus of approximately 60 trees and shrubs of Southeast Asian and Pacific origin, belonging to the mulberry family, Moraceae. Most species of ''Artocarpus'' are restricted to Southeast Asia; a few cultivated species are more ...

'': '' 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 spe ...

**''

Syzygium ''Syzygium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1200 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific. I ...

'': '' S. moorei'', '' S. cormiflorum'' **'' Plinia'': '' 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 familiar o ...

**''

Theobroma ''Theobroma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is sometimes classified as a member of Sterculiaceae. It contains roughly 20 species of small understory trees native to the tropical forests of Central and So ...

'': '' T. cacao'' (cacao), '' T. grandiflorum'' (cupuaçu) (and possibly others) **''

Cola Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was ...

'': '' 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 mode ...

'': '' C. cujete'' (calabash tree). **'' Pavonia'': '' P. strictiflora'' * Fabaceae **''

Cercis ''Cercis'' is a genus of about 10 species in the subfamily Cercidoideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to warm temperate regions. It contains small deciduous trees or large shrubs commonly known as redbuds. They are characterised by s ...

'': '' C. siliquastrum'' **''

Castanospermum ''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 th ...

'': '' C. australe'' *

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 synca ...

**''

Dysoxylum ''Dysoxylum'' is a flowering plant genus of trees and shrubs from the mahogany family, Meliaceae. Botanical science has recorded about eighty species in this genus, growing widely across the regions of Malesia, the western Pacific ocean, Austra ...

'' spp. including '' D. parasiticum'' (

ramiflorous 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 ref ...

) and '' D.spectabile'' *

Sapindaceae The Sapindaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales known as the soapberry family. It contains 138 genera and 1858 accepted species. Examples include horse chestnut, maples, ackee and lychee. The Sapindaceae occur in temp ...

**''

Pancovia ''Pancovia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Sapindaceae The Sapindaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales known as the soapberry family. It contains 138 genera and 1858 accepted species. Examples i ...

'': '' 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 ...

**''

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. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...

'' (papaya) *

Putranjivaceae Putranjivaceae is a rosid family that is composed of 218 species in 2 genera of evergreen tropical trees that are found mainly in the Old World tropics, but with a few species in tropical America. Members of this family have 2-ranked coriaceo ...

**''

Drypetes natalensis ''Drypetes'' is a plant genus of the family Putranjivaceae, in the order Malpighiales. It was previously in the family Euphorbiaceae, tribe Drypeteae, and was the sole pantropical zoochorous genus of the family. The genus comprises abou ...

'' (Natal ironplum) (and possibly others) *

Sapotaceae 240px, '' Madhuca longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' in Narsapur, Medak district, India The Sapotaceae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants belonging to the order (biology), order Ericales. The family includes about 800 species of ev ...

**''

Englerophytum magalismontanum ''Englerophytum magalismontanum'', commonly known as stamvrug, is an evergreen tree that mostly grows in rocky places. It has an extensive range, from northern KwaZulu-Natal northwards along the east coast and into the southern African interior, ...

'' (stamvrug) * Stilbaceae **'' Halleria lucida'' (tree fuchsia) *

Annonaceae The Annonaceae are a 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 family in the M ...

**''

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 '' Uvariopsis ...

'' (all species are

, 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 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'' (bilimbi) *

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. The most important member of the family in world trade is the B ...

**''

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 the tropical forests of Central and South America, and it is cultivated in ...

'' (cannonball tree) *

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 ''Phaleria clerodendron'', commonly known as scented daphne, scented phaleria or rosy apple, is an evergreen tree or tall shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae. It is Endemism , endemic to the rainforests of north-eastern Queensland, Australia. Desc ...

(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, ''

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

'' 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 ''Hippophae rhamnoides'', also known as sea-buckthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the family Elaeagnaceae, native to the cold-temperate regions of Europe and Asia. It is a spiny deciduous shrub. The plant is used in the food and cosme ...

'' File:Matadecacao.jpg, ''

Theobroma cacao ''Theobroma cacao'', also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small ( tall) evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate. The largest ...

'' File:Plinia cauliflora.jpg, Jabuticaba ('' Plinia cauliflora'') File:Englerophytum magalismontanum02.jpg, ''

'' 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 ''Latua pubiflora'' (Griseb.) Baillon, (common name in Spanish: ''árbol de los brujos'', ''tree of the sorcerers'') is the single species of the monotypic genus ''Latua'' Phil., endemic to the coastal mountains of southern Chile. A shrub or sm ...

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

References

External links

The Truth About Cauliflory - Flowers That Bloom On Tree Trunks
Plant morphology {{botany-stub

Families, genera and (some) species

Image gallery

See also

References

External links