Floral Abnormalities in Jack
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Author:P. C. SAHADEVAN, A. ABDUL SAMAD AND K. C. P. MΕΝΟΝ
p-ISSN:0024-9602, e-ISSN:2582-5321, Vol:37, Issue:dec-dec
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29321/MAJ.10.A04514
Abstract
The Jack tree (Artocarpus integrifolia, L.) is monoscious, bearing
spikes of male and female flowers. The spikes are enclosed in stipules when
young. Numerous male spikes are produced and within three weeks of its
emergence from the stipule the male spike drops off, while the female
develops into the so-called jack fruit. The latter as is well known, is a
large multiple fruit with a spinescent appearance. Each spine represents
the hardened apex of a perianth. These apices fuse together and form
the spiny rind of the fruit. The female inflorescence has a number of
fertile flowers and numerous sterile ones surrounding the fertile ones.
The stigmas appear at the end of each spine. In a fertile flower the
perianth enlarges, becoming succulent and enclosing a pericarp with a
single seed. The unfertilised ones thicken out into flat ribbons and are
often edible. An aborted seed and pericarp are found in these. The
steriles develop into the whitish flakes filling up the intervening space.
The colour of the edible flakes varies from pale yellow to reddish orange.
At the Agricultural Research Station, Pattambi, a study is being conducted
on this fruit plant, maintaining a collection of about 160 trees. The
number of female spikes in a tree may vary from 3 to 40 per cent of all
the spikes produced and they take 90 to 110 days to mature.
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