324 



Thk Journal of Hkrhditv 



FLOWERS OF THE JABOTICABA 



Twice natural size. They are similar to th(3se of the myrtle, as the jaboticaba belongs to 

 the order Myrtaceae. It has sometimes been supposed that the production of flowers 

 on the trunk in this way was an adaptation to secure their pollination by crawling 

 rather than by flying insects; but this argument seems to have no force in the present 

 case, since flowers are produced on all jiarts of the tree. (Fig. 14.) 



the explanation may be found in a 

 statement of vSehim])er', who says "The 

 question has often been raised why 

 cauHflory is so mueh commoner in the 

 tropics than in temperate zones, and the 

 distribution has usually been associated 

 with the conditions of pollination. To 

 me it seems most pro])aljle that it is 

 owing to the weaker development or less 

 degree of toughness of the bark. This 

 opinion is sujjported by the fact that 

 in dry districts, where the l)ark is con- 



^Schimper, A. F. W., Plant Cieography upon a 



siderably developed and rich in fibers, 

 cauliflory is very rare." 



The season during which the jabot- 

 icaba rii^cns varies with the species 

 and the location: sometimes, indeed, 

 several crojjs a year are jjroduced. The 

 trees even flower and fruit during the 

 winter months, in regions where the 

 temjieraturc does not go too low. 

 Tavares considers humidity to be the 

 essential factor, and states that the 

 jazendeiros of Sao Paulo, whfj irrigate 

 Physiological Basis, pp. 338-339, Oxford, 1903. 



