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Morphology of Flowering Plants - Semi-technical description of a typical flowering plant

Grade 11CBSEBiology

Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.

🔑Concepts

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A semi-technical description of a flowering plant must be brief, in scientific language, and presented in a proper sequence: habit, vegetative characters, and then floral characters.

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Floral characters include the inflorescence and various flower parts (calyx, corolla, androecium, and gynoecium).

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The floral formula is a shorthand representation of the flower structure using symbols. Symmetry is shown as ⊕\oplus for actinomorphic and %\% for zygomorphic.

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The sexuality of the flower is represented as \male\text{\male} for male, \female\text{\female} for female, and a combination for bisexual.

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Individual parts are denoted as: KK for Calyx, CC for Corolla, PP for Perianth, AA for Androecium, and GG for Gynoecium.

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The position of the ovary is indicated by a line: G‾\underline{G} for superior ovary and G‾\overline{G} for inferior ovary.

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Fusion of floral parts is indicated by enclosing the number within brackets, e.g., K(5)K_{(5)} for five fused sepals. Adhesion between different whorls is shown by a line drawn above the symbols, e.g., CA⏞\overbrace{C A}.

📐Formulae

Fabaceae (Pea family): % \female\male K(5) C1+2+(2) A(9)+1 G‾1\text{Fabaceae (Pea family): } \% \text{ } \text{\female\male} \text{ } K_{(5)} \text{ } C_{1+2+(2)} \text{ } A_{(9)+1} \text{ } \underline{G}_1

Solanaceae (Potato family): ⊕ \female\male K(5) C(5)A5⏞ G‾(2)\text{Solanaceae (Potato family): } \oplus \text{ } \text{\female\male} \text{ } K_{(5)} \text{ } \overbrace{C_{(5)} A_5} \text{ } \underline{G}_{(2)}

Liliaceae (Lily family): Br ⊕ \female\male P(3+3) A3+3 G‾(3)\text{Liliaceae (Lily family): } Br \text{ } \oplus \text{ } \text{\female\male} \text{ } P_{(3+3)} \text{ } A_{3+3} \text{ } \underline{G}_{(3)}

💡Examples

Problem 1:

Interpret the floral formula of a plant belonging to the Solanaceae family: ⊕ \female\male K(5) C(5)A5⏞ G‾(2)\oplus \text{ } \text{\female\male} \text{ } K_{(5)} \text{ } \overbrace{C_{(5)} A_5} \text{ } \underline{G}_{(2)}

Solution:

The plant has a bisexual flower with actinomorphic symmetry (⊕\oplus). The calyx (KK) has 5 fused sepals (gamosepalous). The corolla (CC) has 5 fused petals (gamopetalous). The androecium (AA) has 5 stamens which are epipetalous (attached to petals, indicated by CA⏞\overbrace{C A}). The gynoecium (GG) is bicarpellary, syncarpous (fused), and the ovary is superior (G‾\underline{G}).

Explanation:

Each symbol in the formula corresponds to a specific morphological trait. The brackets ()() signify fusion (connation) of the same parts, while the over-arc ...⏞\overbrace{...} signifies the union of different whorls (adnation).

Problem 2:

Construct the floral formula for a flower that is zygomorphic, bisexual, has a perianth with 3+33+3 tepals fused, 66 stamens in two whorls attached to the perianth, and a tricarpellary syncarpous superior ovary.

Solution:

% \female\male P(3+3) PA3+3⏞ G‾(3)\% \text{ } \text{\female\male} \text{ } P_{(3+3)} \text{ } \overbrace{P A_{3+3}} \text{ } \underline{G}_{(3)}

Explanation:

The symmetry is zygomorphic (%), sexuality is bisexual, perianth is represented by PP with parts in two whorls 3+33+3 and fused (...)(...). The stamens are epiphyllous (attached to perianth), and the ovary is superior with 3 fused carpels.

Semi-technical description of a typical flowering plant Class 11 Notes & Examples