Abstract

<p>A phenological study was conducted on a 43-year-old D. microcarpum tree over three consecutive years (2014–2017) at the Humid Forest Research Station, Umuahia. The tree forked into five main boles, with the largest bole (251 cm girth) exhibiting phenological events at different times compared to the other four boles (girths of 233 cm, 190 cm, 160 cm, and 142 cm). The largest bole was labeled as “A,” while the remaining boles were collectively referred to as “B.”</p>
<p>For each bole, five accessible branches were selected, and ten inflorescences from each branch were randomly chosen for flowering and fruiting studies. Observations were made on the timing of leafing, flowering, fruit formation, development, and organ abscission. Fruit abscission in bole “A” occurred in November and early December, while in bole “B,” it took place in September and early October. Throughout the study period, fruit production was generally low in all boles, and the timing of phenological events consistently differed between bole “A” and bole “B.”</p>
<p>This study demonstrates significant variation in the phenological patterns within a single tree, which could be attributed to the differences in bole size. These variations may influence fruit production and organ abscission timings</p>