The fruits, called mother-of-cloves, are oblong fleshy drupes, usually shortly tapering at each end, reddish-purple in colour, 2.5-3.5 cm long and 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter. They are surmounted by the four enlarged fleshy calyx lobes. They usually contain only a single seed, but may be rarely two-seeded. There is a thin fleshy pericarp about 2-3 mm thick. The seed, with a purplish testa, is oblong and rounded at both ends, about 2 cm long, with two large cotyledons and no endosperm.
During the second year, the primary sinkers descend a further 50 cm or so and several fibrous roots of the surface plate thicken to become the main horizontal laterals. These extend in subsequent years and may reach a radius of 10 m or so. They become greatly thickened, while a number of slender secondary sinkers develop from them to a depth of 7 m or so. The roots of neighbouring trees overlap and natural grafting may occur. The surface plate of roots extends to a radius of approximately the same distance as the height of the tree.
Tidbury (1949) states that it is not known whether the clove is normally cross- or self-fertilized. The flowers are visited by bees and it seems likely that cross-fertilization can and does occur. He considers it probable that the clove will produce self-fertilized seed, although no viable seed, definitely known to be self-fertilized, has yet been produced. He points out that authorities in the East Indies state that the clove is apparently almost entirely self-pollinated, but it is not known on what evidence this statement is made.
These are simple, opposite, coriaceous, exstipulate, glabrous and aromatic. The petiole is slender, 2-3 cm long, somewhat swollen and pinkish at the base and with the leaf blade partly decurrent upon it in the upper portion.
The lamina is lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, sometimes narrowly obovate, 7-13 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, and pellucid- dotted with glands; the apex is shortly or broadly bluntly acuminate and the base is cuneate. The new leaves appear in flushes and are bright pink. Later the upper surface becomes glossy and dark green, and the lower surface dull and paler.
The lamina is densely and obscurely pinnatinerved with over 20 pairs of primary nerves, irregularly spaced, but usually less than 5 mm apart, and with secondary nerves almost as distinct as the primaries. There is a fine intramarginal vein, close to the somewhat wavy and recurved leaf margin.
During the second year, the primary sinkers descend a further 50 cm or so and several fibrous roots of the surface plate thicken to become the main horizontal laterals. These extend in subsequent years and may reach a radius of 10 m or so. They become greatly thickened, while a number of slender secondary sinkers develop from them to a depth of 7 m or so. The roots of neighbouring trees overlap and natural grafting may occur. The surface plate of roots extends to a radius of approximately the same distance as the height of the tree.
Tidbury (1949) states that it is not known whether the clove is normally cross- or self-fertilized. The flowers are visited by bees and it seems likely that cross-fertilization can and does occur. He considers it probable that the clove will produce self-fertilized seed, although no viable seed, definitely known to be self-fertilized, has yet been produced. He points out that authorities in the East Indies state that the clove is apparently almost entirely self-pollinated, but it is not known on what evidence this statement is made.
These are simple, opposite, coriaceous, exstipulate, glabrous and aromatic. The petiole is slender, 2-3 cm long, somewhat swollen and pinkish at the base and with the leaf blade partly decurrent upon it in the upper portion.
The lamina is lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, sometimes narrowly obovate, 7-13 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, and pellucid- dotted with glands; the apex is shortly or broadly bluntly acuminate and the base is cuneate. The new leaves appear in flushes and are bright pink. Later the upper surface becomes glossy and dark green, and the lower surface dull and paler.
The lamina is densely and obscurely pinnatinerved with over 20 pairs of primary nerves, irregularly spaced, but usually less than 5 mm apart, and with secondary nerves almost as distinct as the primaries. There is a fine intramarginal vein, close to the somewhat wavy and recurved leaf margin.
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