Ceratonia L.

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Credits

Article from New Trees by John Grimshaw & Ross Bayton

Recommended citation
'Ceratonia' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/ceratonia/). Accessed 2024-04-23.

Family

Leguminosae (Caesalpinioideae)

Common Names

Carob Trees

Species in genus

Ceratonia siliqua

Glossary

axillary: Situated in an axil.
caducous: Falling off early.
calyx: (pl. calyces) Outer whorl of the perianth. Composed of several sepals.
androdioecious: With only male or only hermaphrodite flowers on individual plants.
indehiscent: Not opening naturally; remaining closed at maturity. (Cf. dehiscent.)
legume: Two-valved fruit formed from a single carpel widely known as a ‘pod’ typical of most members of the legume family (Leguminosae). The word has come to be used as much for members of the family as for their distinctive fruits.
imparipinnate: Odd-pinnate; (of a compound leaf) with a central rachis and an uneven number of leaflets due to the presence of a terminal leaflet. (Cf. paripinnate.)
pendent: Hanging.
imparipinnate: Odd-pinnate; (of a compound leaf) with a central rachis and an uneven number of leaflets due to the presence of a terminal leaflet. (Cf. paripinnate.)
polygamous: With unisexual and bisexual flowers on same plant.

References

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Credits

Article from New Trees by John Grimshaw & Ross Bayton

Recommended citation
'Ceratonia' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/ceratonia/). Accessed 2024-04-23.

The Carob, Ceratonia siliqua, has interesting flowers that do not immediately suggest that it is a legume, but its big broad pods are unmistakeable. Image J.R.P. van Hoey Smith.

Ceratonia comprises two species: the common C. siliqua of the Mediterranean and Middle East, and the rare and poorly known C. oreothauma Hillc., G.P. Lewis & Verdc. of Somalia and Oman (Hillcoat et al. 1980). Carobs are evergreen trees or shrubs with dense, broad, rounded crowns. They are unarmed, and have minute, caducous stipules. The leaves are pinnate with an even number of leaflets (paripinnate), usually two to five pairs; they are typically glossy, dark green and leathery. Ceratonia species may be dioecious, polygamous or both. The axillary inflorescences are short, catkin-like racemes bearing 30–50 flowers. The flowers are 5-merous with a deciduous calyx and no petals. The fruit is a pendent, indehiscent legume containing a sweet mucilaginous pulp and 5–15 seeds (Ball 1968, Allen & Allen 1981).