Cauliflory

/ˌkɔːlɪˈflɔːri/ noun

Definition

The botanical phenomenon of bearing flowers directly on the main stem or trunk of a plant rather than on branches.

Etymology

From Latin 'caulis' (stem) plus 'florus' (flower), nominalized to describe the phenomenon itself. First clearly documented in tropical botany during the 18th-19th centuries.

Kelly Says

Cauliflory is a tropical signature strategy—it solves the pollination problem in dense rainforests where flowers on high branches are hidden, so trees literally advertise blooms on their trunks where flying insects can't miss them.

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