Journal of Forestry Research (2011) 22(4): 615-619 DOI 10.1007/s11676-011-0169-5 Reproductive phenology of Calophyllum inophyllum in Yeppoon, Australia and Meegoda Western Province, Sri Lanka Subhash Hathurusingha  Nanjappa Ashwath  Kolitha Wijesekara  David Midmore Received: 2010-11-06; Accepted: 2010-12-30 © Northeast Forestry University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011 Abstract: Reproductive phenology of multiple use native plant Calo- phyllum inophyllum L. was studied in Yeppoon (23°7'60″ S, 150°43'60″ E), northern Australia (southern hemisphere) and in Meegoda (6º18′51″N, 80º31′3″E), Sri Lanka (northern hemisphere). C. inophyllum trees in Yeppoon, Australia had relatively shorter flowering periods, shorter floral life spans, longer fruit life spans, smaller flowers and larger fruits compared to those in Meegoda, Sri Lanka. Although the number of flower buds/ inflorescence was comparatively higher in Meegoda, C. inophyllum trees in both locations had similar mean number of mature fruits/ cluster due to the higher floral abscission in C. inophyllum trees at Meegoda. Despite having a comparatively lower fruit yield (664 000 fruts·ha⁻¹·a⁻¹), C. inophyllum trees in Yeppoon had higher kernel weights (2 988.0±853.2 kg·ha -1 ·a -1 ) and oil yields (1 332.6±380.5 kg·ha -1 ·a -1 ) compared to those in Meegoda. Key words: Calophyllum inophyllum, Flowering, Fruiting, Inflorescence, Phenology Introduction Calophyllum inophyllum L. (Clusiaceae) commonly known as Alexandrian laurel, beauty leaf or Domba (in Sri Lanka) is a native Australian coastal tree species that shows wide distribu- tion; from northern Australia and extending throughout South- east Asia and southern India (Agroforestry Tree Database 2006). It is a medium to large evergreen tree that grows up to 20 m in height with a broad spreading crown of irregular branches. The The online version is available at http://www.springerlink.com Subhash Hathurusingha ( )  Nanjappa Ashwath  David Midmore Centre for Plant and Water Science, CQ University, Rockhampton, 4702 Australia. E-mail: s.hathurusingha@cqu.edu.au Kolitha Wijesekara Faculty of Science and Technology, Uva Wellassa University, Badulla 90000, Sri Lanka Responsible editor: Chai Ruihai tree bears a dense canopy of glossy, elliptical leaves, fragrant white flowers, and large round nuts (Friday & Okano 2006). The species has many economic uses. Kernel oil has a high commer- cial demand for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications (Agro- forestry Tree Database 2006). The timber is durable (density 600-900 kg/m³) and used in light construction and has a com- petitive market value (Little and Skolmen 1989). Recently anti- cancer and anti-HIV compounds were reported from Callophyl- lum inophyllum extracts (Patil et al. 1993; Taylor et al. 1994; Spino et al. 1998; Itoigawa et al. 2001; Powar et al. 2007). Calo- phyllum inophyllum seed has 65% inedible oil and has been iden- tified as one of the potential biodiesel feedstock plants (Azam et al. 2005; Sahoo et al. 2006). Despite its economic potential, C. inophyllum is yet to gain due attention in both Australia and Sri Lanka where the species is regarded as native. Available literature on many aspects in- cluding reproductive phenology is quite rare. In most parts of the world C. inophyllum shows two flowering and fruiting seasons (Little and Skolmen 1989). However, sometimes flowering may occur throughout the year (Foxworthy 1927). In northern Austra- lia C. inophyllum trees flower twice, in January and in June (Fri- day and Okano 2006), but such information is absent for C. ino- phyllum in Sri Lanka. Plant phenology is an important study area that enriches the understanding about modes of plant growth and development as well as the effects of the environment and selective pressures on reproductive behaviour (Zang et al 2006). Phenological parame- ters like intensity, duration and overlap are important factors in determining the reproductive effort of a plant (Richards 1986).The flowering of certain plants also signals the most pro- ductive period (Richards et al. 1996). It gives an indication about the fruit yield that can be used in yield prediction, which is im- portant in determining the plant’s economic potential. Flowering phenology also implies the fitness of a stand (de Jong and Klink- hamer 1991; Ashman and Schoen, 1996; Sabat and Ackerman 1996). Information on the reproductive behaviour and develop- ment of fruits is vital in concentrating efforts towards correct harvesting time. In the absence of systematic information, this study was carried out to understand the flowering and fruiting ORIGINAL PAPER