How are Freycinetia inflorescences structured?
The inflorescence of Freycinetia is structured as a terminal spadix, which is typically borne in groups of three, though it is rarely solitary.1
The spadix features several bracts:
* Lower bracts: These are leaflike in appearance.1
* Higher bracts: These exhibit various colours, such as orange, pink, salmon, red, yellow, or lavender. The uppermost bracts are often fleshy and edible, as they contain hexose (sugar).1
Regarding the flowers, there is no evident perianth at maturity in either male or female specimens. The female spadices bear single or united carpels, while the male spadices feature densely crowded stamens, each consisting of a minute filament and a globose, linear, or oblong anther with a blunt tip. Because the stamens and pistils are so closely crowded together, it is very difficult to define individual flowers. While the genus was long considered dioecious, bisexual inflorescences have been discovered in the species F. reineckei.1