NOTES ON EPISODIC GROWTH OF INFLORESCENCES IN BARRINGTONIA FILIRACHIS AND B. RACEMOSA (LECYTHIDACEAE)

Abstract

This study investigates the unique phenomenon of episodic growth in the inflorescences of Barringtonia filirachis and B. racemosa (Lecythidaceae), observed in herbarium specimens and living collections. Unlike conventional non-episodic growth, where the meristematic tip senesces after flowering and fruiting, episodic growth allows for successive cycles of flowering and fruiting within the same rachis. This growth pattern, characterised by alternating dormant and active zones along the rachis, was observed in both species, with distinct changes in rachis colouration reflecting growth phases. Barringtonia filirachis, an endangered species restricted to swampy lowlands in Peninsular Malaysia, and B. racemosa, a common and widely distributed species across tropical regions, both exhibit this reproductive strategy. These findings expand our understanding of reproductive dynamics in tropical trees and reinforce the conservation importance of conserving species like B. filirachis with such unique growth behaviours.