Plant Reproductive Anatomy

Style

(botany) the narrow elongated part of the pistil between the ovary and the stigma

Ovary

A flower structure that encloses and protects ovules and seeds as they develop.

Complete Flower

A flower that has all four basic floral organs: sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels.

Incomplete Flower

A flower that has one or more of the basic floral organs (sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels) missing.

Filament

A threadlike thin wire used to hold up the anthers. It supply nutrients to the anther while pollen develops.

Imperfect Flower

A unisexual flower missing either stamens or carpels (pistils).

Synsepalous

All the sepals of a flower are fused into a cup or tube,

Compound umbel Inflorescence

An umbel in which the main branches called primary rays, give rise to small simple umbels, called umbellets, at their tips

Compound raceme

Axillary buds subtended by bracts give rise to racemes

Perfect Flower

Both sex organs (stamens and pistils) are present on the same flower; petals and sepals are not necessarily present.

Petals

Brightly colored structures just inside the sepals; attracts insects and other pollinators to a flower and then fall off after reproduction is over. Parts are the blade and the claw.

Hypogynous superior ovary

Calyx and corolla attached below a superior ovary. No hypanthium

Radial symmetry

Can be cut into two identical halves by any langitudinal cut through its center

Bilateral symmetry

Can only be cut into two identical halves by a single longitudinal cut along its center which divides it into right and left halves. May be bilabiate, with an upper and lower lip.

Calyx

Collective term for the sepals of a flower. Can be separate or fused. If fused, may form a calyx tube with calyx lobes.

Anther

In an angiosperm, the terminal pollen sac of a stamen, where pollen grains containing sperm-producing male gametophytes form.

Corolla

Individual components are called Petals. All petals together form corolla. Usually attractively colored. Inner to calyx. May have a blade and claw, or be sessile. Some have a basal tube, a spreading throat, then a flaring limb

Sepals

Leaflike parts that cover and protect the flower bud

Monoecious flower

Male and female flowers are separate and on the same plant.

Free

Opposite of adnate (fusion of unlike parts)

Distinct

Opposite of connate (fusion of like parts)

Epigynous

Perianth (outer parts) and androecium (stamens and anthers) are attached to the top of the inferior ovary or the hypanthium is attached to the top of an inferior ovary.

Half-inferior ovary

Perianth and stamens inserted around ovary or on a hypanthium which is around the ovary.

Gamopetalous or Sympetalous

Petals fall as a whole (one piece). Having a corolla composed of partially or wholly fused petals forming a corolla shaped like a tube or funnel.

Polygamous plant

Some perfect and some imperfect flowers on the same plant.

Monadelphous stamens

Stamens united (fused) by their filaments into a single group.

pedicel

Supports flower, connects it to stem

receptacle

The base of a flower; the part of the stem that is the site of attachment of the floral organs.

Carpel

The female reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of the stigma, style, and ovary. A single carpel is also known as a pistil, but a compound pistil is made up of two or more carpels. Placenta is where ovules attach. Also known as gynoecium.

Scape Inflorescence

The leafless flower-stalk (peduncle), which grows directly from the root

Stamens

The pollen-producing male reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of an anther and filament. Also known as Androecium

Stigma

The portion of a flowers pistil on which pollen is deposited for germination. Part of pistil (carpel)

Petiole

The stalk of a leaf, which joins the leaf to a node of the stem.

poly or apo or chori

Unfused parts preffixes

Sessile Inflorescence

Without a stalk or petiole. When a leaf, flower, inflorescence, peduncle or pedicel attaches directly to the stem.

Panicle Inflorescence

a compound cluster of flowers consisting of associated spikes or racemes.

Dichasial cyme Inflorescence

a compound cyme that repeatedly forms flowers in pairs that come from the axils of opposite bracts on the pedicels of the preceding flower; repeatedly forks

Young scorpioid cyme Inflorescence

a compound cyme that repeatedly forms flowers that come from the axils of bracts on the pedicels of the preceding flower

Paniculiform (Thryse) cyme Inflorescence

a compound inflorescence with a central rachis and flowers borne in determinate clusters on side branches; oldes flowers in middle part raceme, part compound raceme.

Hypanthium

a floral structure consisting of the bases of the sepals, petals, and stamens fused together. When you eat an apple you are primarily consuming this.

Raceme Inflorescence

a main axis produces a series of flowers on lateral stalks, the oldest at the base and the youngest at the top. Axillary, but leaves reduced to bracts. Youngest flower in center or on top

Mature scorpioid cyme Inflorescence

a main axis produces a series of flowers on one side of the peduncle, the oldest at the base and the youngest at the top.

Superior Ovary

an ovary that is free of the calyx, carolla, and other floral parts, so the sepals and petals appear to be attached at its base.

Axillary

arise from axillary buds where leaves join stem.

Free central ovary

axile, but axis not attached to ovary sidewalls.

Campanulate corolla

bell shaped

Rachis

central axis of inflorescence

Inflorescences

clusters of flowers May be sessile, or born on a peduncle (main stalk). Flowers may be sessile or born on a pedicel. A rachis (central axis) may be present. Bracts (modified leaves, usually subtending a flower) may be present. If many bracts, the collection of them is called the involucre.

Involucre

collection of many bracts

Gynoecium

collective term for the female structures, or carpels, in a flower. Consists of stigma, style, and ovary. Also known as pistils.

Perianth

collective term for the outer parts of a flower consisting of the calyx and corolla and enclosing the stamens and pistils

Perianth

collective term for the outer parts of a flower consisting of the calyx and corolla and enclosing the stamens and pistils. If it consists of two rows of structures, it is biseriate. If one row only, uniseriate. Note that tepals are not necessarily uniseriate.

Androecium

contains the stamens; the anther and filament of flower

Corymbiform cyme inflorescence

cyme having branches arising to about the same level

Umbelliform cyme inflorescence

cyme where branches all arising from the same point corymb with internodes so short, individual flowers appear to arise from a common point.

Rotate corolla

disc-shaped, flat and circula

Simple umbel Inflorescence

flat topped or convex inflorescence with pedicels arising from a common point at the apex of the peduncle

Corymb Inflorescence

florets are formed on lateral stalks of different lenghts, the longest being at the base creating a flat-topped inflorescence

Cyme

flowers arising from a common node at end of branch. Oldest flower in the middle or on top.

Syncarpy

fused carpels (pistils)

Inferior ovary

fused stamens, sepals, and petals attach above the ovary; epigynous "upon"

Connate

fusion of like parts. ex: stamen filaments fused to form a tube

Adnate

fusion of unlike parts

Synoecious plant

having only perfect flowers (both stamens and pistils) on a plant.

Monadelphous

having the stamens in a flower united by the filaments into one group

Perigynous superior ovary

hypanthium (floral cup, united bases of sepals, petals, and stamens) present. Perianth (outer parts) and androecium (stamens and anthers) attached to it, either with a superior or half-inferior ovary.

Funnel-form corolla

like a trumpet

Peduncle

main stalk of inflorescence

Simple Ovary

marginal or parietal placenta.

Apetalous

missing petals.

Asepalous

missing sepals

Bracts

modified leaves, usually subtending a flower.

Nectaries

nectar-secreting glands found on petals or other floral structures.

Staminodes

nonfunctional stamens

Axile Ovary

on a central axis running through the ovary

Parietal ovary

on the side

Solitary axillary flower

one flower

Compound Ovary

parietal, axils, free central, basal, apical.

Polypetalous or Choripetalous

petals are separate

basal ovary

placenta on the bottom of the ovary.

Apical ovary

placenta on the top of the ovary.

Corymb

raceme with all flowers born at same height

Spikelet

secondary spike in grasses or sedges

Epipetalous stamens

stamens are adnate to the corolla(petals) and separate from another stamen

Alternate stamens

stamens are off set from petals, stamens and petals alternate around flower

Polyadelphous

stamens in several bunches

Diadelphous

stamens united by their filaments into two groups

Dioecious plant

staminate (male) and pistilate (female) on separate plants (Holly).

Ligulate corolla

strap shaped

Urceolate corolla

sympetalous and forms a jar around goodies

Salverform corolla

sympetalous with a slender tube and an abruptly expanded, flat limb.

Tubular corolla

tube shaped

Bilabiate corolla

two-lipped

bilabiate corolla

two-lipped corolla

Compound umbel

umbels born from a series of axillary buds on very short internodal stem.

Spike Inflorescence

unbranched, elongated inflorescence with sessile flowers elongate raceme, flowers sessile

Simple cyme Inflorescence

unbranched, few-flowered determinate with the oldest flower in the center

Head Inflorescence

very contracted raceme in which the single sessile flowers share are borne on an enlarged stem. flowers collected densely at end of peduncle. Pedicels lacking

Opposite stamens

when the stamens are directly in front of the petals

Sympetalous corolla

with petals united by their margins, at least at the base.