Search

Gregarious flowering of Dendrocalamus sikkimensis clumps located at Kerala Forest Research Institute campus and Field Research Centre, Veluppadam, Thrissur, Kerala initiated in August 2009. Observations were made on floral morphology, anthesis, pollination, pollen viability and germination and post flowering behaviour. The flowers were dichogamous, protogynous and closed. The inflorescence was a large leafy panicle, with stiff nodose branches bearing large globose heads. Pollens were numerous and monoporate. Ovary was sub globular, hairy with club shaped stigma. Anthesis occurred from 6.00 am onwards. High pollen viability (92 %) was observed in acetocarmine staining and in vitro pollen germination ranged from 3-74 per cent. The pollination was anemophilous. Flowering was followed by abundant seed production and subsequent drying and death of the culms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study in relation to loral biology conducted at Ludhiana (central plain region of Punjab, India) exhibited that Jatropha curcas lowered for two seasons viz. April till June and July till November. Male and female lowers opened 7 to 10 days after bud formation. Fruiting was visible 26.5 to 30.2 days after bud formation. Fruit setting ranged from 37.0 to 61.6% and the anthesis of male and female lowers occurred between 0600 to 0700 hours and 0700 to 0800 hours respectively. Anther dehiscence was observed after 0800 hours. Flowers were unisexual and male and female lowers were produced in the same inlorescence but female lowers were bigger. The male to female ratio was 13.4:1. Mean number of pollen per anther was 122.3 and ranged from 61.9 to 195.1. Mean pollen viability was 71.6%. Results of the breeding system showed fruit setting of 93.2, 72.2, 36.2 and 79.2% in cross pollination, self pollination, apomixis and open pollination respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]