Flowering Cycle of the Morro Tree [Crescentia alata]
The flowers of the Morro tree are an example of its many unique attributes. Morro tree populations flower, undergo pollination, and set fruit within a period of a 2–3 months at the beginning of the rainy season.
The flower buds of the Morro tree grow directly on the woody bark of the tree. The buds grow directly on the trunk and large branches of the tree because only these sturdier parts of the tree can hold the weight of the very heavy mature fruits.
Morro flowers possess a fused corolla (collective term for flower petals) that is generally tubular in shape. Once the floral tube starts to emerge from the bud, it only takes a matter of days for the flower to grow to its full size. The outside of the petals is a deep red, while the inside is cream colored.
Once mature the morrow flower only fully opens at night. Morro trees bloom at night to accommodate their pollinators, nectivorous bats. Morro flowers are precisely the size and shape of the bats’ faces. The stamens are located at the entrance of the floral tube where they deposit pollen onto furry bat faces as they reach into the flower to feed on nectar. The floral tube itself is durable in texture, with a slightly rubbery feel. Morro flowers close during the day to protect against water loss to the intense heat of their natural habitat.
Once pollination has occurred and the floral tube has fallen to the ground, the newly fertilized and developing fruit can be seen nestled in between the floral brackets that enclosed the immature flower just weeks before. Over the next several months the Morro fruits will greatly increase in size and weight to produce a bizarre, but very useful, fruit.
