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Phenology and branching in eight selected species of the genus Cliffortia

Includes bibliographical references.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Fellingham, Anna Catherina
Other Authors: Linder, Peter W
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Biological Sciences 2016
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access_status_str Open Access
author Fellingham, Anna Catherina
author2 Linder, Peter W
author_browse Fellingham, Anna Catherina
Linder, Peter W
author_facet Linder, Peter W
Fellingham, Anna Catherina
author_sort Fellingham, Anna Catherina
collection Thesis
description Includes bibliographical references.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/19146
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:47:19.171Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher Department of Biological Sciences
publisherStr Department of Biological Sciences
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/19146 Phenology and branching in eight selected species of the genus Cliffortia Fellingham, Anna Catherina Linder, Peter W Botany Includes bibliographical references. To date the peculiarities of the inflorescence structure in the wind-pollinated genus Cliffortia (Rosaceae), has gone unnoticed. In this study stereo microscope examination and sketching of fresh and dried specimens, combined with extensive field observations, were performed on eight species of the genus. In its simplest form the inflorescence is a reduced short shoot, bearing a lateral e-bracteate flower and a potentially viable apical bud. Variations in the basic structure can be in the number of flowers, the mix of the sexes of the flowers and the number and type of short shoots as primary, secondary and tertiary axes. A high incidence of structural plasticity of the inflorescence exists. Structural changes can take place throughout the development of the inflorescence or only at the onset of the vegetative stage. These changes occur in the short shoot(s) constituting the axes of the inflorescence, causing either an increase in the length of the internodes, apical proliferation of the axes or a combination of these two effects. A specific combination of changes is linked to a specific inflorescence type. The vegetative elements of the inflorescence thus modified, are retained as an integral part of the vegetative branching system, instead of being discarded after the shedding of the fruits. Thus the inflorescence disappears without being discarded, while the integration of the inflorescence matrix into the vegetative elements of the plant, has a marked effect on the vegetative branching pattern. In some species the structural changes in the inflorescence are linked to changes in the predominance of one sex over the other over time, so that an individual, initially of the one sex, can become one of the opposite sex by the end of the season. In the past the erroneous interpretation of a single point in the process of a sex change as if it is a permanent state of sexuality, led to the prevalent acceptance of dioecy as the norm for the genus, while in truth, it is monoecy with dichogamy in this genus, as in many other wind-pollinated taxa. 2016-04-22T13:39:55Z 2016-04-22T13:39:55Z 1999 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19146 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Botany
Fellingham, Anna Catherina
Phenology and branching in eight selected species of the genus Cliffortia
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Phenology and branching in eight selected species of the genus Cliffortia
title_full Phenology and branching in eight selected species of the genus Cliffortia
title_fullStr Phenology and branching in eight selected species of the genus Cliffortia
title_full_unstemmed Phenology and branching in eight selected species of the genus Cliffortia
title_short Phenology and branching in eight selected species of the genus Cliffortia
title_sort phenology and branching in eight selected species of the genus cliffortia
topic Botany
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19146
work_keys_str_mv AT fellinghamannacatherina phenologyandbranchingineightselectedspeciesofthegenuscliffortia