Morphology of
Flowering Plants
(Short Notes)
Tarun Sir
Morphology of Flowering Plants
Flowering plants – Dominant stage sporophyte
Vegetative Part – Root, stem and leaf
Reproduction Part – Flower, fruit and Seed
Root-
Role – Absorption, Transport of mineral and water anchorage, under ground (chloroplast, cuticle node and internode) absent
Type of Root Arise from Example
Tap root system Radicle Dicot root
Adventitious Other than root Prop root
Stiet root
Fibrous root Base of stem Root of monocot
Tap root part
Root cap Protection, thimble shape absent in hydrophytes,
secondary root
Meristematic Region Dense cytoplasm, round shape cell, cell wall primary,
vacuole absent
Elongation region Cell size increase, responsible for growth
Maturation region Largest region, root hair present
Tap Root
Root modification Example
Storage Carrot, Turnip, Raddish
Pneumatophere Rhizophora (Marshy area and Halophytes)
(Respiratory root)
Maturation region Largest region, root hair present
Adventitious Root
Root modification Example
Storage Sweet potato, Asparagus
Support
Prop root Banyan
Stiet root Maize, sugar cane
Extra – Epiphytic root Have velamen tissue in orchids
Stem
Role – Transport of water, mineral, food, synthesize hormone
Type of stem
Herb – Green
Shrub – Green to woody not trunk
Tree – Woody and trunk
Apical bud – Tip of branch and stem
Axillary bud – In leaf axil
Adventitious bud – Other than node
Stem modification Feature Example
Thorns From axillary Citrus, Bougain, villea
Tendrils From Axillary bud All cucurbits, grapesine
Photosynthetic stem Reduce transpiration know as Euphorbia (cylindrical) phyntia (flat)
phylloclade
Runner Spread to new niche, node Grass, oxalis, strawberry
develop root
Stolen Weak lateral stem Arch Mint jasmine
down ward
Offset Aquatic, node – tuft of rood, Pistia, eichhornia
crown of leaf
Sucker Oblique branch come out Banana, pineapple, Chrysanthemuos
from under ground stem
Tuber Eye – Axillary bud Potato
Rhizome Horizontal stem, with node Ginger, turmeric, banana sugarcane
and internode
Bulb Reduce stem + fleshy leaf Onion, garlic
Corn Stem grow vertical Amorphophallus (zamikand), colcasia
Leaf
Develop on node on branch. Acropetal, Lateral
Parts Role Modification feature
Leaf base Attachment Pulvinus
Exp.- Pea
Leaf sheath – Grass
Petiole Flutter in Air Photosynthetic Petiole – Australian – Accacia
Lamina (Leaf blade) Main photosynthetic part Simple leaf – Lamina entire or incision not reach upto
mid rib
Compound – Incision reach upto mid rib
Pinnate – Mid rib become rachis and rachis attach to
petiole
Palmate – Leaf let attach to petiole (Exp.- silk cotton)
Phyllotaxy No. of leaf one node Example
Alternate 1 S – sunflower
M – Mustard
C – China rose
Opposite 2 Guava
Whorled many Alstonia
Venation Arrangement Example
Parallel Veins, non-form, network Monocot, Orchids, Poaceal, Liliaceae
Reticulate Veins form network Dicot, Brassicaceae, Solanaceae, Fabaceae
Modification of Leaf Example
Leaf spines Cactus
Leaf tendril Pea
Photosynthetic petiole Australian Accacia
Fleshy leaf Onion
Insectivorus plant Pitcher plant, Venus fly trap
Stipule and pulvinus Pea
Inflorescence
Arrangement of flower on floral Axis
Type of Meaning Example
florescence
Racemose Floral axis with have indefinite growth Brassicaceae
Old flower at base – young flower at top
(acropetal) Fabaceae
Cymose Floral axis terminates into flower Solanaceae
Old flower at top young at base (Basipetal)
Liliaceae
Solitary Axis Single flower at floral axis Not important
Flower
Type Example
Bisexual Pistil and stamen present
Staminate Stamen present
Pistillate Pistil present
Type Example
Trimerous Liliaceae
Tetramerous Brassicaceae
Pentamerous Fabaceae, Solanaceae
Type Example
Hypogynous Ovary M- Mustard Brassicaceae
superior C- China rose Fabaceae
B- Brinjal Solanaceae
Liliaceae
Perigynous Half inferior R- Rose
P- Plum
P- Peach
Epigynous Inferior C4- Cucumber
C4- Guava
S4- Sunflower
Symmetry Meaning Example
Asymmetric No symmetry Canna
Actino morphic Many places divide into two half M- Mustard Brassicaceae
C- China rose Solanaceae
D- Datura Liliaceae
Zygomorphic Single plane divide into one half Pe – Pea
Gu – Gulmohar
Be – Bean
Ca - Cassia
Feature Meaning Symbol
Gamosepalaous Sepal fuse K5
Polysepalous Sepal free K5
Polypetalous Petal free C5
Gamopetalous Petal fuse C5
Gamotepalous Tepals fuse P3
Polytepalous Tepals free P3
Aestivation – Arrangement of sepals or petal with respect to each other, observe in bud stage
Valvate Margins not over lap Calotropis
Twisted Margins over lap (regular pattern) Co – cotton
Chin – China rose
La – Lady finger
Imbricate Margin overlap in irregular manner Ca – Cassia
Gul Gulmohar
Vexillary Margins overlap Fabaceae petal
Largest – single – standard
(Vexillium)
Lateral – wing – Aloe
Anterior – Keel – Carina
Androcium
Sterile stamen Steminode
Epipetalous Brinjal (Solanaceae)
Epiphyllous Lily (Liliaceae)
Monodelphous China rose
Diadelphous Pea Fabaceae
Polydelphous Citrus
Unequal stamen Brassicaceae (mustard) salvia
Gyanocium
Monocarpellary Fabaceae, Mango, coconut
Bicarpellary Tomato, (Solanaceae)
Syncarpu Mustard (Brassicaceae)
Tricarpellary Syncarpus Lily
Apocarpous Rose, lotus
Multicarpellary Apocarpus – Michalia
Syncarpus - Papaver
Placentation Feature Example
Marginal Placenta develop on ridge Pea
Axil Axial placenta and multilocular Le – Lemon
ovary Chin – China rose
To – Tomato (Solanaceae)
Liliaceae
Parietal Inner wall of ovary have ovule – Arg – Argemone
false septum Mu – Mustard
Free central Placenta is central unilocular ovary Di – Dianthus
Pri - Primerose
Basal Base of ovary Sunflower
Example
Brassicaceae – Mustard, cabbage, cauliflower, turnip, raddish, (only formulae) and diagramme given
Fabaceae – Pea, bean, gram, Arhar, moong, soyabean, trifolium, sesbania, indigofera, sweet pea, ground nut, Mulaithi,
lupine
Solanaceae – Chilli, datura (belladonna), Ashwagandha, petunia, makoi, potato, tomato, brinjal
Liliaceae – Lily, colchicum, aloe, tulip, Asparagus, onion, (allium cep a)
Brassicaceae Fabaceae Solanaceae Liliaceae
Reticulate Reticulate venation Reticulate venation Parallel venation
Bisexual, actinomorphic Bisexual, zygomorphic Bisexual, Actinomorphic Bisexual, Actinomorphic
Tetramerous Pentamerous Pentamerous Trimerous
Sepal in two whorl Sepal fuse Sepal fuse Tepals fuse two row
Androcium – two whorl – Petal – vexillary Petal fuse Two rows
unequal stamen Androcium - diadelphous Androcium – epithalus
Bicarpellary syncarpous Monocarpellary Bicarpellary Androcieum – epiphyllous
superior ovary Superior ovary Superior ovary Epiphyllous
Seed – non endospermous Seed – non endospermous Endospermous Endospermous
Dehiscent simple fruit Dehiscent simple fruit Mainly berry Mainly capsule
Seed
Fertilized ovule
Parts Feature
Seed coat Outer testy- Inner tegmum
Embryo Embryonal axis and cotyledon
Endosperm Not in every seed
Hilum Scar on seed
Micropyle Small pore for entry of oxygen and
water
Type of seed Feature
Dicot Two cotyledons (food store)
Non endospermous
Monocot One cotyledon
In grasses cotyledon is scutellum
Food store in endosperm
Grasses – coleoptile – hollow foliar structure surrounded epicotyl
Coleorhizae – hollow structure surrounded hyocotyl
Endospermous Mainly monocot (Except orchid) and some dicot – castor, Solanaceael,
maize, coconut, wheat
Non- endospermous Mainly dicot- (except castor and Solanaceae ) and orchid
Fruit
Ripened ovary
Wall of ovary pericarp
Type of fruit Example
Pseudocarp (false Apple, pear, cashew, strawberry
fruit) thalamus
involve
Parthenocarp Banana
(seed less fruit)
Eucarp True fruit
Type of fruit Develop from
Simple fruit Monocarpellary
Bi or multi carpellery but syncarpous
Aggregate fruit Multicarpellary apocarpus ovary
Composite fruit From inflorescence
Type of fruit Feature Example
Dry fruit Pericarp not divisible into layer Dehiscent – pea mustard
Indehiscent – wheat maize (caryopsis)
Fleshy fruit Pericarp divisible into epicarp, 1. Drupe – Single seed – mango
mesocarp and endocarp (mesocarp edible), Hard
endocarp – coconut –
endosperm edible
2. Berry – All three layers edible
exp. Tomato
3. Pepo – exp. Cucumber
(epicarp -nonedible)
4. Pome – exp – apple