Speaker: Abhay Kumar Gaurav

IARI, New Delhi

Pomegranate Flower Morphology

Introduction• Punica granatum L. • Family: Punicaceae• Native to central Asia (Iran and India) • Grown throughout dry Mediterranean regions • Like hot, dry summers • Can be damaged by very cold temperatures

• Punicaceae contains only two species:– Punica granatum L.

and – P. protopunica

• Pomegranate is a shrub• When domesticated, it is

grown as a small tree that grows up to 5m

• Most of the pomegranate varieties are deciduous trees

The Flower• Flowering occurs on one year old spurs or short branches• Flowers can appear solitary, pairs, or clusters• In general, the solitary flowers will appear on spurs along

the branches while the clusters are terminal• Flowers: Odorless but colorful, large, 5-9cm in length,

campanulate or cylindrical, and generally reddish but sometimes yellow to white

Sepals: 5-8 fused in their base, vase shape

Petals: 5-8, separated. Petals, alternate with the sepals, and have a pink-orange to orange-red color, slightly wrinkled

Stamens: Approx 300, long, orange-red filaments, yellow anther

Carpels: Approx eight superimposed in two whorls. Syncarpus

Types of flower

Pomegranate flowers develop into one of three types of flowers:

1) Hermaphrodite flowers (‘‘vase shape’’) 2) Male flowers (‘‘bell shape’’) and3) Intermediate flowerAll types have several hundred stamens

Male flower• The bell-shape flower has a poorly developed or no

pistil and atrophied ovaries containing few ovules and is infertile.

• Hence, they are referred as a male flower• These flowers drop without fruit set

Hermaphrodite flower• The vase-shape flower is

fertile with a normal ovary capable of developing fruit

• The stigma is at the anthers height or emerging above them

• This position allows for self-pollination as well as pollination by insects

• Cultivars with higher vase-shape to bell-shape ratio will have a higher fruit yield potential

• The percentage of the vase-shape flowers in Indian cultivar is 53% to 80%

Intermediate Flower• A third type of flower is also found• They have long style or short style and a developed

ovary which is sometimes fertile• Fruit set is not 100%

Mode of Pollination• Often cross pollination

Pomegranate flower drop

Reason: Pollination: Male pomegranate flowers

fall off naturally as do un-fertilized female

blooms while fertilized flower set fruit

Pests: Insect infestation such

as whitefly, scale or mealybugs

Disease: Another possible reason may be

due to a fungal disease or root rot

Environmental: Flowers may be drop due

to cold temp as well

Water stress: Too less water

Thank you