Occasional Hermaphroditism and Plasticity in the Flowering Habit of Persian Walnut (Juglans regia L.)- New Report

Walnut ( Juglans regia L.) is traditionally characterized as a monoecious plant, bearing staminate catkins on one-year-old wood and pistillate flowers on current-season growth. However, recent observations at ICAR-CITH, Srinagar, reveal significant plasticity in this bearing habit. Out of 219 bearing plants observed, instances of atypical flowering were recorded, including the development of male catkins on current-season growth and, most notably, the occurrence of hermaphrodite flowers. These hermaphrodite flowers contain both functional stamens and a receptive stigma, a phenomenon that could potentially bypass the limitations of dichogamy in commercial plantations. This report documents these rare floral transitions and suggests that environmental stressors or hormonal shifts may trigger these deviations from the standard monoecious model.