%0 Research article
%T Reproductive biology of Faidherbia albida (Del.) A. Chev
%A Gassama-Dia, Yaye Kène
%A Sané, Djibril
%A N'Doye, Mansor
%D 2003
%J Silva Fennica
%V 37
%N 4
%R doi:10.14214/sf.482
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/482
%X Phenology, flowering and fructification were studied in 5 natural populations of Faidherbia albida in a semi-arid zone in Senegal. In this species, the inflorescence acts as the reproductive unit; the basal flowers, opening first, have a low rate of fertilisation; the maximum rate of fertilisation (65%) was obtained in the apical flowers. Stigmatic receptivity, tested by esterasic reaction, was maximal immediately after anthesis. Stigmata of F. albida can bear simultaneously 2 or 3 polyads. Controlled pollination revealed that allogamy is the dominant reproductive system (ISI = 0.2) in natural populations of F. albida. Intra-specific variability in selfing (ISI ranging from 0 to 0.54) was also observed. Despite of the complete reproductive mechanism during flowering, only a small number of ripe pods (1.25%) is produced, and an average of 70% of the ovules per carpel are fertilized.