Pecan

The pecan (Carya illinoensis [Wang] K. Koch) is a deciduous, monoecious tree. The pecan has a compound bud; floral buds and a mixed bud are enclosed by separate bud scales, within a common outer scale covering.’ As the compound bud begins growth in the spring, the mixed bud produces a shoot which, if it continues to elongate, terminates in either a vegetative bud or a single pistillate inflorescence. The floral buds, if they develop, produce staminate inflorescences. Normally, ² shoots from almost all of the lateral buds abort before reaching the leaf stage and only the staminate inflorescences continue to develop. Shoots that continue to develop and produce pistillate inflorescences are typically from lateral buds situated on the distal portion of the growth of the previous season. ³ The abortion pattern of the shoots reflects the strong apical dominance or apical control exhibited by the pecan. ^{2 - 4}