Morphology of Flowering Plants: common doubts, answered
The questions students ask most often about Morphology of Flowering Plants, each with a short answer. For the full chapter, read the Morphology of Flowering Plants notes.
Root systems and the root tip
Read this section in the notes →What is the difference between tap root, fibrous root and adventitious root?
A tap root is the main root that develops from the radicle and keeps its dominant place, with branches, as in mustard. Fibrous roots are a cluster of thin roots that replace the radicle, as in wheat. Adventitious roots arise from parts other than the radicle, such as stem or leaves, as in grass, Monstera and banyan.
What are the four regions of a root tip, from the apex backwards?
From the tip backwards they are the root cap, the region of meristematic activity, the region of elongation and the region of maturation. The root cap protects the tender tip, the meristem produces new cells, cells then elongate, and finally differentiate. Root hairs appear in the maturation region and absorb water and minerals.
The stem
Read this section in the notes →What is the difference between a root and a stem in morphology?
The stem develops from the plumule of the embryo, while the root develops from the radicle. A stem has nodes and internodes, and it bears leaves, buds, flowers and fruits, whereas a root has no nodes and no leaves. Roots are normally underground, while stems are generally above the ground.
Leaf parts and venation
Read this section in the notes →How are reticulate and parallel venation different?
In reticulate venation the veins form a network, which is typical of dicot leaves. In parallel venation the veins run parallel to each other, which is typical of most monocot leaves. Venation is the pattern of arrangement of veins and veinlets in the lamina of a leaf, and it is a quick way to tell dicots from monocots.
Compound leaves and phyllotaxy
Read this section in the notes →How can you tell a compound leaf from a branch with simple leaves?
Look for a bud. In a compound leaf the bud is found in the axil of the petiole, but never in the axil of a leaflet. A branch carries a bud at the axil of each leaf. The compound leaf is divided into leaflets, which are borne on the rachis, as in neem, or at the tip of the petiole, as in silk cotton.
What is the difference between pinnately and palmately compound leaves?
In a pinnately compound leaf the leaflets are attached to a common axis, the rachis, which is the extension of the petiole, as in neem. In a palmately compound leaf the leaflets are all attached at one point, the tip of the petiole, like fingers on a palm, as in silk cotton.
What is the difference between alternate, opposite and whorled phyllotaxy?
In alternate phyllotaxy a single leaf arises at each node, as in china rose, mustard and sunflower. In opposite phyllotaxy a pair of leaves arises at each node, as in Calotropis and guava. In whorled phyllotaxy more than two leaves arise at a node, forming a whorl, as in Alstonia.
Racemose and cymose inflorescence
Read this section in the notes →What is the difference between racemose and cymose inflorescence?
In the racemose type the main axis continues to grow and flowers are borne laterally in an acropetal order, with the youngest at the tip. In the cymose type the main axis ends in a flower, so growth is limited, and the flowers are borne in a basipetal order, with the oldest at the top.
Flower whorls and symmetry
Read this section in the notes →What is the difference between actinomorphic and zygomorphic flowers?
In an actinomorphic flower any radial cut through the centre gives two equal halves, as in mustard, datura and chilli. In a zygomorphic flower only one vertical cut gives two similar halves, as in pea, gulmohur, bean and Cassia. A flower with no cut giving equal halves, such as canna, is asymmetric.
Ovary position on the thalamus
Read this section in the notes →What is the difference between hypogynous, perigynous and epigynous flowers?
In hypogynous flowers the ovary is superior, with other parts attached below it, as in mustard and brinjal. In perigynous flowers the ovary is half inferior and the other parts are on the rim of the thalamus, as in rose and plum. In epigynous flowers the ovary is inferior, as in guava and cucumber.
Is the rose flower hypogynous?
No, the rose is perigynous. Its ovary is situated in the centre and the other floral parts are at the rim of the cup-shaped thalamus, so the ovary is half inferior. The hypogynous condition, with a superior ovary, is seen in mustard, china rose and brinjal. Guava, in contrast, is epigynous.
Calyx, corolla and aestivation
Read this section in the notes →What is the difference between valvate, twisted, imbricate and vexillary aestivation?
Aestivation is the arrangement of sepals or petals in a floral bud. In valvate they just touch at the margins, as in Calotropis. In twisted each overlaps the next in one direction, as in china rose and cotton. In imbricate they overlap without a fixed direction, as in Cassia and gulmohur. Vexillary is the pea-type arrangement.
How is the corolla of a pea flower arranged?
A pea flower has five petals, and the largest, outermost petal is called the standard or vexillum. It overlaps the two lateral petals, the wings, and these in turn overlap the two smallest anterior petals, the keel. This special arrangement is called vexillary aestivation, seen in pea and bean.
Androecium
Read this section in the notes →What is the difference between epipetalous and epiphyllous stamens?
Epipetalous stamens are attached to the petals, as in brinjal. Epiphyllous stamens are attached to the perianth, as in lily, whose sepals and petals cannot be told apart and are called tepals. Which term applies depends on whether the flower has a separate corolla or a perianth, so the stamens of lily are described as epiphyllous, not epipetalous.
What is the difference between monoadelphous, diadelphous and polyadelphous stamens?
In monoadelphous stamens the filaments are united in one bunch, as in china rose. In diadelphous they form two bundles, as in pea. In polyadelphous they form more than two bundles, as in citrus. The anthers remain free in all three, so the union affects only the filaments.
Gynoecium and placentation
Read this section in the notes →What is the difference between apocarpous and syncarpous gynoecium?
A gynoecium with free carpels is apocarpous, as in lotus and rose. A gynoecium with fused carpels is syncarpous, as in mustard and tomato. The carpel has three parts, the stigma, style and ovary, and after fertilisation the ovary matures into a fruit.
What is the type of placentation in mustard?
Mustard has parietal placentation, in which ovules develop on the inner wall of the ovary. The ovary is one-chambered at first, then becomes two-chambered through the formation of a false septum. Axile placentation, in contrast, occurs in china rose, tomato and lemon, where the ovules lie on the central axis of a multilocular ovary.
What is the difference between free central and basal placentation?
In free central placentation the ovules lie on the central axis of an ovary that has no septa, as in Dianthus and primrose. In basal placentation a single ovule is attached at the base of a one-chambered ovary, as in sunflower and marigold. Both are single-chambered ovary types, so look at where the ovules are attached.
Fruit and seed
Read this section in the notes →Why are mango and coconut called drupes?
They are drupes because each develops from a monocarpellary superior ovary and is one-seeded. The fruit wall has an outer epicarp, a middle mesocarp that is fleshy in mango and fibrous in coconut, and a hard stony inner endocarp. The edible part is the mesocarp in mango, and the endosperm in coconut.
Which seeds are endospermic and which are non-endospermic?
Castor is an endospermic dicot seed, while bean, gram and pea are non-endospermous, because their endosperm is used up as the embryo develops. Among monocots, most are endospermic, such as maize, but orchids are non-endospermic. So the groups dicot and monocot do not decide whether a seed has endosperm.
What is the difference between coleoptile and coleorhiza?
The coleoptile is a protective sheath around the plumule, the future shoot, while the coleorhiza is a sheath around the radicle, the future root. Both occur in monocot seeds such as maize. The maize embryo lies in a groove at one end of the endosperm and has one large, shield-shaped cotyledon, the scutellum, beside a short axis that carries the plumule and radicle.
Floral formula and Solanaceae
Read this section in the notes →What does the floral formula of Solanaceae show?
The floral formula ⊕ ⚥ K(5) C(5) A5 G(2) shows an actinomorphic, bisexual, hypogynous flower with five fused sepals, five fused petals, five stamens attached to the petals, and two fused carpels with a superior ovary. Placentation is axile, and the fruit is a berry or a capsule.
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