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.