Flowering and Fruiting Eco-physiology of Calotropis procera (Ait.) W.T. Ait., and importance of Gas in Fruit dehiscence. | ||||
| Taeckholmia | ||||
| Article 4, Volume 20, Issue 1, 2000, Page 69-80 PDF (154.54 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/taec.2000.12476 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
| Hasan El-Tantawy* | ||||
| Botany Department, Faculty of Sicence, Menoufia University Shebin El-Kom, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The phenology and ecology of flowers, fruits and mechanism of fruit dehiscence have been studied. Usher Calotropis procera produces flowers throughout the year with a peak in the early dry season (summer). The number of flowers was very high reaching of 959 flowers/tree, while the production of fruits was very low (22 fruit/tree). Each seed is covered at one tapered end by parachute-like silky hairs of about 3.16 ±0.4 cm. in length. It is possible to use the seed hairs as source for natural fibers in arid and semiarid regions. Fruits are dehiscent by gas pressure (140.75±24.4 mm Hg). It was found that the gas occupies about 70% of whole volume of fruit. The gas content (N2 & O2) expands with increased temperature causing a pressure on the pericarp and leading to fruit dehiscence. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Calotropis procera; dehiscence; flowering; fruiting | ||||
|
Statistics Article View: 142 PDF Download: 413 |
||||
