Biovascular plants

gynoecium

Comprises all the carpels of a flower; female part of a flower

endospory

Condition in which the gametophyte develops within the spore wall, rather than externally

Pinus

Coniferophyta

If carpellate and staminate flowers occur on separate plants, that species is...

diecious

terminal cell

divides several times to form a spherical proembryo attached to the suspensor, eventually giving rise to most of the embryo.

Elkinsia polymorpha

earliest known seed plant (seed fern); seeds along branches without specialized structures

corymb

flat-topped or convex inflorescence in which the individual flower stalks grow upward from various points on the main stem to approximately the same height

Anthophyta

flowering plants

imperfect flowers

flowers do not have both carpels and stamens

inflorescences

flowers grouped in clusters

perfect flowers

flowers that contain carpels and stamens

In flowers, The carpels are the...

megasporophylls

In flowers, stamens are the...

microsporophylls

bracts

modified leaves that are adapted for protecting the flowers

If carpellate and staminate flowers occur on the same plant, that species is....

monoecious

pedicel

singular stalk supporting one flower

catkin

slim cylindrical flower cluster with few or no petals

peduncle

stalk bearing an inflorescence or solitary flower

filament

stalk for the anther

perianth

the collective term for all sepals and petals in a flower

endocarp

the innermost layer of the pericarp that surrounds a seed in a fruit

axile placentation

the ovules are borne on a central column of tissue in a partitioned ovary with as many locules (chambers) as there are carpels

central placentation

the ovules are borne on a central column of tissue not connected by partitions to the ovary wall

mesocarp

the second most outer layer of a fruit

spadix

an inflorescence that is a spike with flowers embedded in a fleshy axis

megaspore mother cell

develops within the ovule that is within the ovary of the carpel

Bifacial vascular cambium

A cylinder of cells in the stem that produces new xylem cells on the inside and new phloem cells on the outside. Allows for secondary growth.

angiosperms

A flowering plant which forms seeds inside a protective chamber called an ovary.

involucre

A group or cluster of bracts subtending an inflorescence

staminate

A male cone is called a staminate

Seeds

A mature ovule that contains an embryo An embryonic plant with its food supply. encapsulated in a protective coat. Appear in the Devonian, 365 mya; about 100 my after origin of plants. Survival over extended periods of drought or cold. Embryo protected from bacterial or fungal attack. Dispersal. Food supply: Head start for embryo development. Enhanced germination.

double fertilization

A mechanism of fertilization in angiosperms, in which two sperm cells unite with two cells in the embryo sac to form the zygote and endosperm.

pollen tube

A tube that forms after germination of the pollen grain and that functions in the delivery of sperm to the ovule.

monocot

An angiosperm that has only one seed leaf.

dicot

An angiosperm that has two seed leaves

umbel

An inflorescence with a number of pedicels attached at a single node

zygomorphic

Bilaterally symmetrical

cauline

Borne on the aerial part of a stem

cyme

Determinate, compound inflorescence composed of repeating units of a pedicel bearing a terminal flower and below it, one or two bracteoles; each bracteole is associated with an axillary flower, and further bracteoles, and so on.

sporophyte

Diploid, or spore-producing, phase of an organism

Tetramerous/Pentamerous

Eudicot (Magnoliopsida) flowers are usually constructed on a numerical plan of four or five and are referred to as tetramerous or pentamerous flowers. The numerical plan of the flower is most evident in the sepals and petals. To some extent it is carried through to the stamens, but this feature of the floral design does not often apply to carpels.

Sperm delivered to egg by means of pollen tube

Fertilisation independent of water. Non-flagellated sperm (except cycads & Ginkgo). Pollen tube: NOT hollow. Adaptive radiation. Rapid evolution into novel environments and ecological niches not available to seedless plants

Angiosperms

Flowering plants. 300,000 to 450,000 species.

Seeds of gymnosperms

Formed on surface of sporophylls. Exposed. Not enclosed by sporophyll-derived tissues. Result from single fertilisation of egg-cell by sperm. Developing embryo nourished by nucellus. Megagametophyte tissues develop at the expense of the nucellus (megasporangium)

megastrobilus

In conifers, the female (seed-bearing) cone.

trimerous flowers

In the monocots (Monocot) the flowers usually have a numerical plan of three (or multiples of three): e.g. the Tulip (Tulipaspp.); 3 sepals, 3 petals, 6 stamens and 3 carpels.

style

Long, usually thin stalk of the pistil of a flower

microstrobilus

Male pollen-bearing cone

Gymnosperms

Naked seeds. 840 species.

exocarp

Outer layer of the fruit wall or pericarp

diecious

Pertaining to an organism that has either male or female reproductive organs

megasporangia

Produce megaspores that give rise to female gametophytes

homospory

Producing a single type of spore that gives rise to a single type of gametophyte, bearing both female and male reproductive organs.

Heterospory

Producing two types of spores, one of which gives rise to a female megaspore and the other to a male microspore.

Reduced gametophytes

Protected & nourished by sporophyte

raceme

Simple, indeterminate inflorescence with a single axis bearing pedicellate flowers

basal cell

The basal cell divides transversely while the terminal cell divides longitudinally. This results in a four-celled pro-embryo.

spathe

The bract that encloses a flower cluster is this.

carpel

The female reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of the stigma, style, and ovary.

microgametophyte

The male gametophyte produced by a microspore.

mature male gametophyte

The mature male gametophyte is produced after the pollen grain has been transferred to the stigma (pollination).

endosperm nucleus

The nucleus of the female gamete that will form the endosperm (food store) when it is fertilised.

micropyle

The opening to the ovule in a flowering plant

epigynous

The ovary is inferior, and the flower parts are attached above the ovary

parietal

The ovules are borne on the ovary wall or on extensions of it

hypophysis

The suspensor cell on which the embryo rests is known as the hypophysis

suspensor

The suspensor develops from the lower cells in the pro-embryo via a series of transverse cell divisions. At the same time, the embryo divides into four cells and then eight cells. Each of the cells of the embryo divides periclinally into an outer dermatogen cell and an inner cell.

stigma

The tip of the female reproductive structure of a flower where the pollen lands

Phylum: Coniferophyta, Genus: Thuja

They have weird, deformed blue berries

solitary flower

a single flower on an upright stalk; also called a terminal or axillary flower.

corolla

collective term for petals

calyx

collective term for sepals

androecium

collective term for stamens

complete flower

contains sepals, petals, stamens and carpels

megagametophyte

grow by mitosis from megaspores and by mitosis into megagamete egg

monoecious

having male and female reproductive organs in the same plant or animal

embryo sac

he embryo sac contains an egg, two synergid cells at the end of the gametophyte closest to the micropyle. At the opposite end of the embryo sac are three antipodal cells, while in the large central cell are two polar nuclei.

staminate (flowers)

imperfect flower, only stamen

basal placentation

in some flowers there is a single ovule at the very base of a unilocular ovary

pollen sacs

in these sacs diploid cells undergo meiosis in order to form haploid cells

Seed plants

include gymnosperms (conifers) and angiosperms (flowering plants). Angiosperms are divided into two groups: dicotyledons (dicots) and monocotyledons (monocots).

nucellus

inner part of an ovule, in which the embryo sac develops; equivalent to a megasporangium

incomplete flower

is missing one or more parts (sepals, petals, stamens and carpels)

carpellate

lack stamens

megaspore

large haploid spore formed by some plants that develops into a female gametophyte. The large megaspore undergoes three successive mitotic divisions that yield eight nuclei. These nuclei are separated by cell walls to form the eight-nucleate, seven celled structure the embryo sacor mature female gametophyte.

recepticle

part of stem that supports flower

actinomorphic

radial symmetry

Ephedra

refers to Ephedra sinica, which is used in treating asthma and hay fever. Also the stimulant ephedrine. Both the microstrobili and the megastrobili of Ephedraare compound structures, in which the sporogenous organs are appendicular, ( at the tip of the branch) and not cauline. A sporophyll surrounds the integument of the ovule, suggesting the development of a primitive carpel.

perigynous

type of flower where flower is attached to ovary

Hypogynous

type of flower where flower is below ovary

panicle

type of inflorescence, alternating on stem

sperm nuclei

what does pollen contain