Abstract:
Investigations'on the floral characters of "Varikka' and "Koozha' types of jack (Artocarpus
heterophyllus Lam.) were conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy, Trichur on 14 mature
trees. There was no significant difference between 'Varikka' and 'Koozha' types in respect of any of the
characters studied. The pattern of male and female catkin production was found to differ in jack, the former
occurred from October to February while the later was confined to only three months starting from late
November to February. In a male catkin, anthesis started by 6 a.m. and continued up to 6 p.m. in a day.
This pattern continued for 5 to 7 days in a catkin. Anther dehiscence occurred between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
on the day of its emergence. The sequence of emergence of stigma on the female catkin was highly erratic
and continued for 3 to 4 weeks. Complete fading away of the stigma occurred in 21 to 35 days after
anthesis started. The chief agent of pollination was found to be wind although certain amount of insect
pollination cannot be ruled out.
