Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

Pollination occurs when pollen grains move from anthers to a reproductively mature stigma. After pollen lands on the stigma, it initiates pollen tube formation. Pollen tubes are channels which grow down the length of the style to the ovules.

The number of seeds within a fruit is also tightly linked to fruit size and shape in species with multiple fused carpels. If only one ovule, or a subset of the total ovules, is fertilized, it can result in abnormal development close to the unfertilized ovules and fruit asymmetry (Figure 7c).

The presence of structures within a flower, and the form of those structures, has important consequences for the development and appearance of fruits in tree crops. In this section we will examine floral morphology more closely to understand the relationship between flower and fruit structure.

The animation of floral organogenesis (below) was created by Bridget Lamp and Vito Polito at UC Davis from a series of scanning electron micrographs. It simulates the development of the shoot apical meristem of an almond (Prunus dulcis) flower bud.

Although flower tissue is derived from vegetative tissue, the location and type of vegetative tissue which develops into flowers, and ultimately fruits, varies among tree fruit and nut crop species grown in California.

Flower anatomy has important consequences for orchard establishment and management practices in tree fruit and nut crops.

Female reproductive structures stigma tip of pistil that receives pollen style long column that connects the stigma to the ovule ovule female germ cells that develop into seeds following fertilization ovary organ below the stigma and style which surrounds the ovules and develops into fruit tissu...

Ryugo, K. Fruit Culture: Its Science and Art. McGregor, S. E. Insect Pollination of Cultivated Crop Plants. Agricultural Handbook No. 496, Agriculture Research Service, USDA Jackson, D., N. Looney, M. Morley-Bunker, and G. Thiele (editors). Temperate and Subtropical Fruit Production. 3rd Edition.

Flower Anatomy & Pollination Reviewer Dr. Tom Gradziel, Professor, Plant Sciences Department UC Davis Author Dr.

Flower Anatomy | Pollination | Seed & Fruit Development | Fruit Anatomy | Vegetative & Floral Tissue Development | Flower Development & Tree Morphology | Anatomy of Common Tree Fruit & Nut Crops | Terms & Definitions | Summary Chart | Reviewers & Credits Crop Flower Type Dioecious or Monoecious Poll...