Flowers of Oil Palm Tree

Tuesday, 11 April, 2023 12:46:04 AM

Oil Palms in Sabah > Flowers of Oil Palm Tree

Male and female inflorescence of Elaeis guineensis (African Oil Palm )

Male and Female Oil Palm flower Inflorescence Development from 10th to 14th week.

Male and Female Inflorescence Emergence in 10th and 11th week

Principal stage 5: Inflorescence Emergence of an oil palm tree

Principal stage 5: Inflorescence Emergence

500: Inflorescence not visible; the structure is flattened at the back of the axil firmly attached to the petiole base of the leaf that supports it. This stage is observed between phyllotaxis positions 13 to 15.

501: Inflorescence visible in the leaf axil due to the onset of the separation of the floral structure from the leaf base that supports it. Emergence of 10 % of final size of the floral structure, elliptical in shape and covered by the floral bract and prophyll fused together. Structure located downward in the opposite direction to the phyllotaxis of the palm; the structure elongates before it thickens. This stage is visible in the phyllotaxis position 15 to 19.

503: Emergence of 30 % of final size of the floral structure; elongation of the structure.

505: Emergence of 50 % of final size of the floral structure; still closed, and moves one leaf position because of the unfolding of a new leaf. Floral structure begins thickening. The prophyll is torn and disintegrates, while the peduncular bract still covers the structure.

509: Emergence of 90 % of final size of the floral structure; the prophyll has almost completely disintegrated; a slight tearing can be seen in the central part of the peduncular bract. Inflorescence nearing the start of pre-anthesis stages.

Principal stage 6: Flowering

601: Pre-anthesis I - Female inflorescence - Beginning of tearing of the peduncular bract in the middle of the structure; dark brown rachillae tight toward the center, no tepals showing.

602: Pre-anthesis II - Female inflorescence - 30 % tearing of the peduncular bract total area, more open dark brown rachillae; dark brown flower bud tepals showing. Two leaf positions changed since the emergence of the structure.

603: Pre-anthesis III - Female inflorescence - 50 % to 70 % tearing of the peduncular bract total area; prophyll disintegrated; light brown separated rachillae; tepals stop growing; burnt-yellow color.

607: Anthesis 花粉 - Female inflorescence: Fibrous, woody peduncular bract disintegrated and firmly attached to the floral surface; tepals open exposing beige stigma lobes (Figure 1).

609: End of flowering - Beginning of pollination of flowers; progressive change in color of stigma lobes from very dark yellow to brown to black in a 24 hour period; presence of post-pollination exudate on stigmas.

Principal stage 7. Development of fruit

700: Fertilized female flower: Stigma lobes harden and turn black, beginning of ovary growth; fruit is covered by whorl bracts (Figure 1).

705: 50 % of final fruit size - Beginning of fruit pigmentation to bright light green at the apex; endocarp or endosperm not showing; beginning of rapid growth of fruits (drupes). The fruit is covered by the tepals; no formation of endocarp or endosperm inside the fruit.

707: 65 % of final fruit size - Beginning of fruit pigmentation to dark green at the apex, medium green in the center; no endocarp or endosperm showing. Fruit still covered by whorl bracts. Beginning of formation of endocarp inside the fruit.

708: Fruit reaches normal size for the species - The fruit reaches normal size for the species. The color of the fruit is yellow or very light green in the basal part, light green in the middle and dark green at the apex. Soft endocarp, liquid endosperm. Beginning of solidification of endocarp; endosperm is liquid.

709: Fruit brightness - Fruits are shiny and opalescent green. Endocarp begins hardening and has medium salmon color; endosperm in colloidal state (Figure 1).

Antigonon leptopus, common known as mexican creeper, coral vine or bee bush, is a pink flowering plant commonly used within oil palm plantations to attract natural predators of oil palm pests.

Antigonon leptopus is a fast-growing climbing vine. The plant grow by holding on via tendrils reaching over 7 meters in length.