Morphology of the inflorescence and fruit in jack (Artocarpus Heterophyllus Lam.)

Abstract

The iiiflorescence in jack is a catkin. The individual flowers are radially arranged on a lleshy peduncle. The perianth tubes of male flowers are free from each other, while those of female (lowers are fused in the middle region. Androecium consisted of a single stamen with a hasifixed four celled anther. Gynoecium consisted of a white waxy clavate stigma, a slender style and a unicelled ovary with a solitary ovule inside, attached by marginal placentation. The female catkin after pollination developed into a large composite fruit (sorosis) which is a 'false fruit', with the persistent perianth forming the hulk of the f r u i t . The 'tnie fruit' resembled an achene. Except for the texture of the flakes after ripening, the two types studied had the same morphological features; the 'koo/.ha' with soft mushy Hakes an 'varikka' with crisp hard flames.