TOPIC 9:

Plant Organs:
Flowers
FLOWERS
 A flower is a Flower is an
stem with accessory of
leaf-like plant for
structures reproduction

Flowers begin
Concepts Reproduction as embryonic
creates an primordium
offspring that develops
into bud

3
Cycle
• Seed germination to mature plant producing seeds.
• Annual plants
o Cycle completed in single season.

• Biennial plants
o Cycle completed in two growing seasons.

• Perennial plants
o Cycle takes several to many growing seasons or plant
produces flowers on new growth, while other plant parts
persist indefinitely.
annuals
biennials
perennials
Major class of flowering plants

• Magnoliopsida
o (dicots)

• Liliopsida
o (monocots)
Structure of
Flowers
Structure of flowers

• Flowers occur as specialized branches at tips of

peduncles.
o May have branchlets of pedicels (stalk of single flower)

• Receptacle
o Swollen end of peduncle or pedicel

• Other parts of flower attached to receptacle in

whorls: sepals, petals, stamens, and pistil.
Structure of flowers
• Sepals
o Outermost whorl
o Collectively referred to as calyx
o Protects flower while in bud

• Petals
o Next whorl inside sepals
o Collectively referred to as corolla
o Showy corollas attract pollinators.
*Tepals
Structure of flowers
• Inconspicuous or missing corollas in many trees,
weeds, grasses, and wind-pollinated plants

• Calyx and corolla form perianth in monocots

Structure of flowers

• Stamens
o Attached around base of pistil.
o Each stamen consists of filament with anther at top.
o Pollen grains developed in anthers.

• Pistil
o Consists of stigma, style, and ovary.
o Ovary develops into fruit.
Presence or
Absence of
Parts
Terms for individual flowers

• Incomplete

o missing one of
more of the floral
parts
Terms for individual flowers

• Perfect

o (bisexual)

o flower with both

stamens and carpels
Terms for individual flowers

• Imperfect

o (unisexual)

o missing stamens or
carpels, but not both
Terms for individual flowers

• Staminate

o (male)

o unisexual flower with

just stamens present
Terms for individual flowers

• Carpellate

o (female)

o unisexual flower where

carpels only present
Plants with imperfect flowers

• Monoecious

o any plant that has

both staminate and
carpellate flowers
Plants with imperfect flowers

• Dioecious

o plant that has

either staminate
flowers or
carpellate
flowers, but not
both
Ovary

• Ovaries evolved from carpels with margins rolled

inward.
o Carpel – structure enclosing ovules
o Carpels may be fused together into compound ovary.
o Pistil can consist of one to several carpels.

• Ovary contains ovules.

• Ovules develop into seeds after fertilization.

Position of ovary

• Superior Ovary
o Calyx and corolla attached to receptacle at base of ovary.

• Inferior Ovary
o Receptacle grows up and around the ovary.
o Calyx and corolla appear attached at top of ovary.
Insertion of
floral parts
Hypogynous

• The sepals, petals, and

stamens are inserted
under the carpel
o Ovary is said to be superior
Perigynous
• The sepal, petals, and
stamens are fused
together to form a cup
called the hypanthium

• The gynoecium sits inside

the cup but is not fused to
it
o Ovary is said to be superior
Epigynous

• The sepals, petals, and

stamens arise from a
point above the ovary

o Ovary is said to be
inferior
Floral Symmetry

• Actinomorphic

o (radial)

o cutting the flower in

any pane produces a
mirror image
Floral symmetry

• Zygomorphic

o (bilateral)

o can cut the flower

in only one plane
to get a mirror
image
Inflorescence
Inflorescence

• Group of flowers

• Flowers can be produced singly or in inflorescences.

Simple Inflorescence

• Terminal

o flower at the tip of

a stem
Compound Inflorescence

• Two or more
flowers per
inflorescence
Spike

• elongate
inflorescence; flowers
are sessile, dense, or
remote from one
another
Catkin

• a pendant or
erect
inflorescence in
which unisexual
flowers lack
petals and are
hidden by scaly
bracts
Raceme

• An elongate
inflorescence of
pedicellate flowers
on an unbranched
rachis
Umbel

• A flat-topped or
somewhat rounded
inflorescence in
which all of the
pedicels arise from a
common point at the
tip of the peduncle
Corymb

• A flat-topped or
somewhat rounded
inflorescence in which
the pedicels of varying
length are inserted
along the rachis
Panicle

• A much-branched
inflorescence with a
central rachis which
bears branches which
are themselves
branched
Characterizing
some common
plant species
Squash

• Cucurbita

• Imperfect, Monoecious,
regular, incomplete

• Cyme/raceme, radial,
inferior/hypogynous
Rose

• Rosa

• Raceme,
inferior/epigynous,
radial, regular,
complete, perfect,
dioecious
Santan

• Ixora coccinea
• Cyme,
• inferior/hypogynous
• bilateral
• Imperfect
• Incomplete
• dioecious
Guava

• Monoecious
• Radial
• Complete
• Imperfect
• Raceme
• Inferior/epigynous,
regular
Kalachuchi

• Plumeria
• Regular
• Imperfect
• Dioecious
• Radial
• Complete
• Raceme
• Inferior/epigynous
Daisy

• Bellis perennis
• Monoecious
• Complete
• Regular
• Perfect
• Radial
• Superior/hypogynous
• Head/composite
Orchid

• Panicle/raceme
• Inferior/hypogynous
• Bilateral
• Irregular
• Complete
• Perfect
• dioecious
Gumamela

• Hibiscus
• Monoecious
• Perfect
• Complete
• Regular
• Radial
• Raceme
• Inferior/hypogynous
Euphorbia

• Euphorbia milii
• Umbel
• Superior
• Hypogynous
• Radial
• dioecoius
FRUITS
Fruit

• Matured ovary and its

accessory parts

• Contains seeds

• All fruits develop from flower

ovaries and are accordingly
found exclusively in flowering
plants.
Fruit
anatomy
Variability of fruits

• Can consist of only ovary and seeds

• Can include adjacent flower parts

• May be fleshy or dry at maturity

• May split or not split

• May be derived from a one or more ovaries

Fruit regions
• Exocarp - Skin

• Endocarp - Inner boundary

around seed(s)

• Mesocarp - Tissue between

exocarp and endocarp

• Three regions collectively

called pericarp.
Fleshy fruits
Fleshy fruits

• The mesocarp is at least partly fleshy at maturity.

• Simple fleshy fruits that develops from flower with
single pistil.
o Drupe
o Berry
o Pome
o Pepo
o Aggregate
o Multiple
Drupe

• Simple fleshy fruit

with single seed
enclosed by hard,
stony endocarp (pit)
drupe
Berry: True berry

• From compound ovary, with more

than one seed, and with fleshy
pericarp

• True berry
o With thin skin and relatively soft
pericarp
o Tomatoes, grapes, peppers,
blueberries, bananas
true
berry
Berry: Pepo

• Relatively thick rind

o Pumpkins, cucumbers
pepo
Berry: Hesperidium

• Leathery skin
containing oils

o Citrus
Berry: Pome

• Flesh comes from enlarged

floral tube or receptacle
that grows up around ovary.

o Endocarp papery or leathery

o Apples, pears - Core and a

little of adjacent tissue is
from ovary; remainder is from
floral tube and receptacle
Aggregate fruits

• Derived from single flower

with several to many pistils

o Individual pistils mature as

clustered unit on single
receptacle.

o Raspberries, blackberries,
strawberries
Multiple fruits

• Derived from several to

many individual flowers in
single inflorescence

o Mulberries, Osage orange,

pineapples, figs
Drupe (Peach) Pome (Apple) Pepo (Cucumber)

Berry (Tomato) Aggregate (Strawberry) Multiple (Pineapple)

Dry fruits
Dry fruits

• These fruits have dry mesocarp at maturity

• Dehiscent or indehiscent
Dehiscent

• Split at Maturity

o Follicle

o Legume

o Siliques and silicles

o Capsules
Dehiscent: Follicle

• Splits along one side

o Larkspur, milkweed, peony

Dehiscent: Legume

• Splits along two sides

o Legume family: peas, beans,

lentils, peanuts
Dehiscent: Silique & Silicle
• Split along two sides, but seeds on
central partition, which is exposed
when two halves separate.

• Silique
o More than three times longer than
wide

• Silicle
o Less than three times longer than wide
o Mustard family: broccoli, cabbage
Silique and
silicles
Dehiscent: Capsules

• Consist of at least
two carpels, and
split in a variety of
ways

o Irises, poppies,
violets,
snapdragons
capsules
Indehiscent

• Do not split at maturity

• Single seed united with pericarp

o Achene
o Nut
o Grain
o Samara
o Schizocarp
Indehiscent: Achene

• Base of seed attached to

pericarp.

o Sunflower seed, buttercup,

buckwheat
Indehiscent: Achene

• Similar to achene, but larger,

with harder and thicker
pericarp, and a cluster of
bracts at base

o Acorns, hazelnuts, hickory nuts

Indehiscent: Grain

• A.k.a. Caryopsis

• Pericarp tightly united with seed

o Grasses: corn, wheat, rice, oats,

barley
Indehiscent: Samara

• Pericarp extends as wings for

dispersal.

o Maples, ashes, elms

Indehiscent: Schizocarp

• Twin fruit that breaks into

one-seeded segments called
mericarps

o Parsley family: carrots, anise, dill

Silique (Money Plant) Capsule (Poppy) Achene (Sunflower)

Legume (Bean pod) Follicle (Columbine) Nut (Hazelnut)

Fruit and
seed
dispersal
Dispersal by wind

• Fruits: Samaras, plumes or

hairs on fruit

• Seeds: Small and lightweight,

or with wings
Dispersal by Animals
• Seeds pass through digestive
tract.

• Fruits and seeds adhere to fur

or feathers.

• Oils attract ants.

• Elaiosomes on bleeding hearts

used as food by ants.
Water dispersal

• Some fruits contain trapped air for floatation.

SEEDS
Structure:
Ovules develop into seeds.
o Cotyledons - Food storage organs that function as “seed
leaves”
o Embryo = cotyledons and plantlet
o Plumule - Embryo shoot
o Epicotyl - Stem above cotyledon attachment
o Hypocotyl - Stem below cotyledon attachment
o Radicle - Tip of embryo that develops into root
seed
mature
seed
Germination
Germination

• The beginning or resumption of seed growth.

o Some require period of dormancy.
o Brought about by mechanical or physiological factors,
including growth-inhibiting substances present in seed
coat or fruit
o Break dormancy by mechanical abrasion, thawing and
freezing, bacterial action, or soaking rains.
o Scarification - Artificially breaking dormancy
Germination (contd.)
• After ripening: embryo composed of only of few cells
when fruit ripens.
o Seeds will not germinate until embryo develops.

• Favorable environmental factors needed for

germination.
o Water and oxygen
o Light or its absence
o Proper temperature range

• Enzymes in cytoplasm begin to function after water is

imbibed.
Germination of
monocot
Epigeous germination

• Hypocotyl lengthens, bends and becomes hook-

shaped.

• Top of hook emerges from ground, pulling

cotyledons above ground.
Epigeous
germination
Hypogeous germination

• Hypocotyl remains short and cotyledons do not

emerge above surface.
Longevity
• Seed viability varies, depending
on species and storage
conditions.
• Viability extended:
o At low temperatures
o When kept dry

• Vivipary - No period of dormancy;

embryo continues to grow while
fruit is still on parent.
end.