Simulation · Biology · Class 11
How many ways can you cut a flower in half?
From the lesson Flower whorls and symmetry in Morphology of Flowering Plants. Change the values and watch what happens.
How many ways can you cut a flower in half?Biology · Class 11
The idea behind it
NCERT §5.5, §5.5.1, Figure 5.10
- The flower is the reproductive unit of angiosperms and serves sexual reproduction.
- A typical flower has four whorls, one above another, on the swollen tip of the pedicel called the thalamus or receptacle: calyx, corolla, androecium and gynoecium.
- Calyx and corolla are accessory organs; androecium and gynoecium are the reproductive organs.
- When calyx and corolla cannot be told apart, as in lily, together they are called the perianth.
- Bisexual flower: has both androecium and gynoecium. Unisexual flower: has only stamens or only carpels.
- Actinomorphic (radial symmetry): any radial plane through the centre cuts it into two equal halves. Examples: mustard, datura, chilli.
- Zygomorphic (bilateral symmetry): only one particular vertical plane gives two similar halves. Examples: pea, gulmohur, bean, Cassia.
- Asymmetric (irregular): no vertical plane through the centre gives two similar halves. Example: canna.
- Trimerous, tetramerous and pentamerous flowers have floral appendages in multiples of 3, 4 and 5.
- A bract is a reduced leaf at the base of the pedicel. Flowers with bracts are bracteate; flowers without them are ebracteate.