Corolla shapes                    Powerpoints:  Angiosperms part one

Stamens                                                   Angiosperms part two         

Duration of life

Inflorescences

Fruits

Corolla shapes (sympetalous flowers)

 1. rotate - large part of corolla is limb (flared part)

2. campanulate - bells-shaped corolla 

                                   e.g. Campanulaceae

                                  (bell flower) blue bells

3. Urceolate - urn-shaped corolla -- especially common in the heather family (Ericaceae)

 4. infundibuliform - funnel-shaped -- especially common in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae)

 5. cyathiform - salver-shaped (shallow tray)

 6. tubular - e.g. some rhododendrons (Ericaceae)

 7. ligulate - strap-shaped - common in the aster family (Asteraceae = Compositae), e.g. in dandelion all the corollas are ligulate

 8. bilabiate - two-lipped - common in, but not restricted to the mint family (Lamiaceae = Labiatae)

 9. Papilionaceous - butterfly-like corolla - characteristic of the legume family (Fabaceae = Leguminosae)

 10. spurred at the base

 11. saccate at the base

 Stamens

 didymous - pairs

 didynamous - four stamens in two pairs of unequal length (in many of the Lamiaceae)

 tetradynamous - six stamens of four long and two short -- found almost exclusively in the mustard family (Brassicaceae = Cruciferae)

 staminodium (plural = staminodia) - represent vestigial stamens or sterile stamens  e.g.

      beardtongue - (Penstemon in Scrophulariaceae)

 Anthers - pollen containing part of the stamen, usually consisting of two sacs

   connective - area between two pollen sacs

         adnate                          innate

 positions of anther

      introrse          extrorse         versatile

(facing pistil)        (facing away)

all three positions are found in the lily family (Liliaceae)

 dehiscence - method of opening or splitting for release of pollen

 1. slit

 2. terminal pore -- common in Ericaceae

3. uplifting valve -- 2 or 4 valves may be present:  2                 

   valves - Berberidaceae (barberry), 4 valves - Lauraceae

 

Duration of life (plant and parts)

 flower - ephemeral - lasting for only a short time, usually less than one day.  Plants may also be diurnal -- opening during the day, usually in the morning (morning glory), or nocturnal -- opens during the night.

  Parts of the flower:

          calyx may be persistent -- sepals often persistent as fruit ripens, e.g. apple

            calyx accrescent - the sepals enlarge as the fruit matures

          calyx marcescent - sepals wither but persist

          calyx deciduous - calyx falls as flower withers

 caducous - parts deciduous flower opens, usually applied to the corolla, but in poppy family (Papaveraceae) the calyx is caducous, the sepals (dunce cap) drop off the top of the flower.

           fugacious - falling early, e.g. flax family (Linaceae) the petals are fugacious.

 Plant:

         annual - plant completes its development in one year or one season then dies.

         biennial - plant that completes its development in 2 years, usually blooming the second year.

         perennial - plant that continues to live year after year:

        monocarpic - flowers once and then dies, both annuals and biennials are monocarpic.

        polycarpic - flowers more than once during its lifetime

Inflorescence – the arrangement of flower(s) on the plant.  Primitive type – Magnolia-like, borne at the end of the branch.

 Determinate inflorescences have the central flower maturing first with the arrest of the elongation of the central axis.

 Indeterminate inflorescences have the lateral or lower flowers maturing first without the arrest of the elongation of the central axis.

Peduncle – main stalk of the entire inflorescence

Pedicel – stalk of the individual flower in inflorescence.

Inflorescences you need to know (see handouts).

Simple cyme (dichasium) – a determinate, dichotomous inflorescence with pedicels of equal length.

     Compound cyme – a branched cyme.

     Helicoid cyme – a determinate inflorescence in which the branches develop on one side only.

     Scorpioid cyme – a zigzag determinate inflorescence with branches developed on opposite sides of the rachis alternately.

 Raceme – unbranched, indeterminate inflorescence with pedicelled flowers.

     Panicle – branched raceme.

     Spike – unbranched, indetermi9nate, elongate inflorescence with sessile flowers.  

                Spadix - a spike with a small, crowdedflowers on a thickended , fleshy axis.

     Catkin – a unisexual scaly spike.

Corymb – a flat-topped or convex indeterminate cluster of flowers.

     Compound corymb – a branched corymb.

Umbel a determinate or indeterminate flat-topped or convex inflorescence with the pedicels arising from a common point.

     Compound umbel – a branched umbel.

Head – a determinate or indeterminate crowded group of sessile or subsessile flowers on a compound receptacle.

 Terms:

Scapose – with a solitary flower on a leafless peduncle or scape, usually from a basal rosette.

Secund – one-sided arrangement.

Solitary – one-flowered, not an inflorescence.

Umbellet – a secondary umbel in a compound umbel.  

 Fruits:

A fruit is a ripened ovary and most fruits have at least one seed  (exception - navel orange)  A fruit may have other parts, e.g. in the apple the hypanthium makes up most of the "fruit".

 Function of the fruit is to produce seed(s).  The fruit is often modified to facilitate seed distribution e.g. beggar's tick, cockle burr, dandelion.

Fruit types:        

Fruit derived from more than one ovary.

     Multiple fruit - derived from ovaries of more than one flower e.g. fig, pineapple ---  native species bibacca      (fused double berry) in Lonicera.      

     Aggregate fruit - derived from the ovaries of one flower e. g. many Rosaceae.  ---------  The ovaries coalesce upon ripening and are considered one fruit, but actually each ovary is a separate fruit.   EXAMPLES ---- (these are all called berries, but are not berries in the true sense)  Strawberry -- receptacle fleshy, ovaries not fleshy; ovaries are embedded in the receptacle actually an accessory fruit).  Blackberry -- receptacle and ovaries fleshy, together they are edible.  Raspberry and Salmon berry -- receptacle not fleshy; ovaries are fleshy and edible, receptacle is not eaten.

 Fruit derived from a single ovary -- simple fruit (common type)

      Fleshy (possible derived from dry) fruit.  Fleshy fruits depend upon the way the different layers mature in the     ripening fruit.

           Berry - most general type, from single pistils, the pericarp is fleshy or skin-like, not hardened.  Examples: tomato, date, cantaloupe, banana, watermelon, (special types - hesperidium (orange)(thick skinned septate berry with bulk of fruit derived from glandular hairs), pepo (cucumber) (leathery non-septate rind from inferior ovary)

          Pome - fruit with a core, from a compound inferior ovary.  Much of the fleshy material is from a hypanthium, with the innermost layer cartilaginous.  Pones are accessory fruits found almost exclusively in the Rosaceae e.g. apple, pear.

 Drupe - fleshy fruit with a stony endocarp enclosing usually a single seed, found mainly in the Rosaceae, but other families also have drupes.  Derived from one-celled dry fruit.  Examples: peach, almond

    Druplets-  much reduced drupe, e g individual ovaries of raspberry, blackberry (aggregate of druplets).

 Dry fruit

 Dehiscent fruits (dry)– open on ventral side when ripe.

       Follicle – simple one carpel, dry dehiscent fruit that open on the ventral suture.

       Legume- one carpellate, simple dry fruit that dehisces on two sutures.  The valves often twist as they dehisce.

        Loment – modified legume that breaks crosswise instead of along the two sutures (lengthwise).  The loment    tends to break between the seeds; usually a 2-seeded structure.

Silique – ordinarily dehisces from the bottom upward.   Found only in the Cruciferae (mustard family).  The replum remains after the valves break away.

Silicle – is a modification of the silique --- it tends to be broader than long.  Some members of the         Cruciferae do not dehisce; fruit would ordinarily be 1-seeded with seed in the middle and the margins flattened.

Capsule – more than one-carpellary; individual carpels are not drawn together tightly, derived from union of follicles.

    Septicidal – dehisce along the septum

    Loculicidal – dehiscence on the back, more or less midway between partitions into the cavity

    Operculate – through pores, each of which is covered by a flap, cap or lid  (Papaver) – takes longer for seeds to be shaken out by wind

 Indehiscent dry fruits

 Achene (akene) – usually 1 seed attached at one point only to the ovary wall, usually 1-loculed  (Asteraceae)

      MODIFICATIONS:

          Nut – simple, hardened ovary wall characteristically derived from a compound pistil but one seeded by abortion e.g. walnut is 2-carpellary, semidehiscent.  Misnomers: almond is a drupe, and a brazil nut is actually a seed.

          Nutlet (a small nut) – 4 nutlets are usually derived from a 2-carpellary flower in which the ovary becomes constricted.  Boraginaceae, Labiatae, and Verbenaceae exhibit the nutlet.  In Labiatae, the calyx persists around the fruit and may have hooked teeth.  Boraginaceae often have clinging appendages for aid in distribution.

           appendage example

 Samara – winged fruit, sometimes called a key fruit; Aceraceae (maple family) has a double samara –     (schizocarpic) – usually one seeded (see schizocarpic below).

             Utricle – thin, spongy or inflated ovary wall, like a swollen samara, common in beet or spinach family (Chenopoddiaceae)

              Schizocarpic fruit types – derived from a 2 or more locular compound ovary in which the locules separate at maturity simulating fruits derived from the ovaries of a simple pistils (mericarps)

examples – schizocarpic achenes, berries, and follicles.

 It is difficult to determine fruit type in the early stages of flowering.  Always find the oldest flower possible to aid in determining fruit type.  With few exceptions in each case, if the flower has a single pistil, even though it may be compound, there will never be more than one fruit per flower examples – capsule, silique, berry and drupe.  If the flower has numerous pistils, there will usually be more than one fruit per flower – examples drupelets, achenes, and follicles (there are exceptions)

 Generally, if you can recognize the Family, you can determine the fruit type, which will result.