Term:
Pachycaul
Pachycaul
Definition:
A type of growth form in which the tree is unbranched (monocaulis) or sparsely branched, the stems are thick, and the leaves very large.
A type of growth form in which the tree is unbranched (monocaulis) or sparsely branched, the stems are thick, and the leaves very large.
Notes:
Pachycauls can be unbranched or sparsely branched. Only species of Grias and Gustavia have pachycaul growth forms, In Grias all species are branched pachycauls while in Gustavia there are unbranched pachycauls (= monocaulis, e.g., Gustavia monocaulis); sparsely branched pachycauls (e.g., Gustavia superba); and leptocauls (e.g., Gustavia hexapetala, G. dubia, G. brachycarpa, G. longifuniculata. Species of unbranched pachycauls belong to the modèle de Corner in the system of Hallé and Oldeman (Hallé, 2004). Although branched pachycauls of Lecythidaceae, represented by Gustavia superba, have been considered as belonging to the modèl de Leeuwenberg (Prance & Mori, 1979), they do not appear to belong to this model because there is dichotomous branching below the terminal inflorescences (see p. 101 and the accompanying Fig. 3 in Hallé, 2004).
Pachycauls can be unbranched or sparsely branched. Only species of Grias and Gustavia have pachycaul growth forms, In Grias all species are branched pachycauls while in Gustavia there are unbranched pachycauls (= monocaulis, e.g., Gustavia monocaulis); sparsely branched pachycauls (e.g., Gustavia superba); and leptocauls (e.g., Gustavia hexapetala, G. dubia, G. brachycarpa, G. longifuniculata. Species of unbranched pachycauls belong to the modèle de Corner in the system of Hallé and Oldeman (Hallé, 2004). Although branched pachycauls of Lecythidaceae, represented by Gustavia superba, have been considered as belonging to the modèl de Leeuwenberg (Prance & Mori, 1979), they do not appear to belong to this model because there is dichotomous branching below the terminal inflorescences (see p. 101 and the accompanying Fig. 3 in Hallé, 2004).