Reproductive Terminology

Androecium

"The man's house" male reproductive organ (stamen)

Ovary positions

(In reference of ovary to rest of floral parts) Inferior: ovary attached beneath the point of attachment of other floral whorls (arise from top of ovary), Superior: ovary attached above point of attachment of other floral whorls (arise from under ovary)

Insertions

(In reference to where floral parts are compared to ovary), Epigynous: floral parts (stamen, petals, and sepals) attached to top of ovary (inferior), Hypgoynous: floral part attached below ovary (superior), Perigynous: floral parts bone on calyx tube surrounding but not actually attached (superior)

Bract

A reduced leaf or leaflike structure at the base of a flower, not always present

Pollination syndrome

A series of traits that plants have evolved to facilitate pollination and attract pollinators. Example yucca and yucca moth = coevolution

Heterostyly

A sporophytic self incompatibly that involves differences in floral morphology (long pin and thrum anthers)

Accessory Structures

An expansion of receptacle to form the fleshy fruit like strawberries (achene is actually fruit)

Gland

Appendage the secretes a sticky or oily substance

Perianth

Calyx and corolla together

Carpel vs Pistil

Carpel is a distinct chamber, can be fused to form a single pistil with multiple chambers within; when separate carpel and simple pistil can be used interchangeably; when connate, more carpels than pistils

Corolla

Collective name for all the petals

Indehiscent

Don't split open when ripe, both fleshy and dry. Ex. samara, caryopsis, nut, achene, drupe, pome, or berry.

Pericarp

Exocarp, endocarp, and mesocarp collectively

Ovary

Expanded basal portion of the pistil

Floral formula

Floral symmetry (* or +), # of sepals (K), Petals (C), Stamen (A), Carpels (G); -fruit type (O= connate, _/-=superior/inferior

Imperfect flower

Flower that lack either stamens or pistils, can be on same plant (dioecious) but still imperfect

Synoecious

Flowers have both sexes together in the same head

Pellucid dot

Function as a gland, transparent dot on adaxial side of leaf, think about grape fruit leaf

Connate

Fusion of like parts ex. stamen filaments fused to form a tube, ex petals

Adnate

Fusion of unlike parts ex stamens to the corrolla

Wind pollination

Grasses, Hickories, Oaks. Usulally unisex flowers produce large amounts of pollen. Common in temperate forrest

Complete flower

Has all parts (sepals, petals, stamens, and pistals)(syneocious)

Determinate

Main axis end in a flower, sequence begins with terminal flower (oldest at top). Ex. Cyme, panicle-like cyme, raceme-like cyme, econgated cyme, head, umbel, helicoid cyme, scorpioid cyme.

Incomplete flower

Missing any of the 4 parts (sepal, pistil, petal, stamen), more likey to miss petals than sepals.

Animal Pollination

Most angiosperms, more effective than water and wind

Water Pollination

Mostly aqualitc monocots

Monomorphic self incompatibly

No morphological differences between flowers of incompatible individuals. Gametophytic- genotype of pollen determines success. Sporophytic- genotype of anther determines success.

Receptacle

Portion of pedicel where flower parts are borne

Stigma

Portion of the pistil which receives the pollen

Indeterminate

Produces only flowers, flow sequence starts at base (oldest at bottom). Ex. racemes, spikes, cormybs, panicles, umbel, head, fascicle.

Multiple fruit

Product of the gynoecia of several closely clustered flowers. Ex. pineapple.

Berry types

Products of single flower, single fruit, indehiscent, homogeneous texture = Berry. Exocarp oily= Hesperidium. Exocarp leathery= Pepo.

Floral symmetry

Radial; 2+ planes of symmetry (regular and Biradial; 1 plant of symmetry (irregular)

Simple fruit and examples

Resulting from a single flower. Ex. berries, drupe, pome, nut, and aggregate fruit.

Seeds and endosperm

Seeds: mature ovule that contains embryo and nutritious tissues. Endosperm: Nutritious triploid tissue, may be homogenous or ruminate in texture.

Aggregate fruit and examples

Simple fruit which develop from several separate carpels of a singe gynoecium. Ex. magnolia (of follicles), blackberries (of druplets), Annona (berries).

Samara, Nut, Utricle, Achene, and Caryopsis.

Simple fruit, indehesident, dry, one seeded. Wings = Samara. Pericarp think= Nut. Pericarp thin, loose and unattached = Utricle. Pericarp thin. tight, and unattached= Achene. Pericarp thin and fused= Caryopsis.

Schizocarp, silique, and capsule

Simple, dehiscent, 2+ carpel. Fruit splitting into 1+ mericarps= Schizocarp. Spiting open and releasing seed with thin partition= Siliquie. Splitting open and releasing seeds with partition not present= Capsule.

Follicle, legume, and loment

Simple, dehiscent, single carpel. One slit= Follicle. 2 spilts longitudinal= Legume. 2 splits, transverse breaking into 1 seeded segments= Loment.

Dehiscnet

Split open when ripe, can have multiple splits. Ex. Silicle, silique, capsule, follicle, llegum, or loment.

Filament

Stalk of the stamen, supports anther

Monoecious

Staminate and carpellate flowers are on the same plant, can be on same flowers or different flowers (should specify if perfect or imperfect)

Placertation

The arrangement of the placentae ( the portion of the ovary bearing ovules, separated by the septum in the chambers (locules)) ex. Pariential, Pariental with intruded placentae, Free central, Axile, Apical, Basial

Gynoecium

The female reproductive organ; pistil/carpel

Style

The narrow portion of the pistil connecting the stigma to the ovary

Calyx

The outer whorl of sepals

Articulation

The point of attachment between pedicel and recpical

Connective

The portion of the stamen connecting 2 pollen sacs of an anther

Inflorescences

The shoot system which serves for the formation of flowers and used for routine identification.

Pedicel

The stalk of a singe flower

Perfect flower

With both male and female parts, (syneocious)

Ovule

an immature seed inside the ovary

Hypanthium

floral cup formed by the union of the calyx, corolla, and androecium. Forms fleshy part of apples and pears (pomes).

Dioecious

flowers imperfect with the pistillate (female) and staminate (male) flowers borne on different plants

Anther

pollen-producing structure located at the tip of a flower's stamen

Drupes and Pome

products of single flower, single fruit, indehiscent, fleshy, heterogeneous texture. Center has 1 large pit= Drupe. Center has multiple seeds and papery exocarp and inferior ovary= Pome.