FLOWERS
Lanre Moody
Types of Flowers
FLOWERS
INFLORESCENCE SINGLE
Single Flower: Schematic diagram
TYPES OF
INFLORESCENCE
CLOVE FLOWER
.
DEFINITION
• Cloves are the dried flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum (L) Merr &
Perry (Eugenia caryophyllus)(Family Myrtaceae)
• Cultivated in Zanzibar but native to the Molucca Islands near
Madagascar. Now produced in Madagascar, Brazil, Indonesia
• Flower buds are collected before the petals open and dried in open
air on mats
• Blown cloves = petals open and fall off; Mother clove = clove fruit
MACROSCOPY
• About 10-17.5 mm long
• Stalk consist Hypanthium = elongation of the receptacle below the petals and sepals and encloses
the ovary
- hypanthium is dark in color and tetragonal
- Ovary is bilocular (2 carpels) with numerous ovules and axile plancentation
• Head consist of
- 4 slightly projecting teeth-like sepals (calyx)
- 4 membranous imbricated petals forming dome-like shape
- numerous indefinite incurved stamens divided into 4 united groups
(delphous) = tetradelphous
- a large, short style with pointed stigma
Macroscopy (Contd)
• Organoleptic characters
- strong fragrant
and spicy odour
- pungent aromatic taste
Microscopy
• The hypanthium
- has a central vascular bundle =
columella
- oil glands at periphery
(schizolysigenous gland)
LS of Hypanthium
Transverse section of Hypanthium
- epidermal cells are straight
walled, polygonal, cuticularized
with smooth cuticle and
presence of anomocytic stomata
- parenchyma cells containing
numerous schizolysigenous oil
glands (with epithelium of 2-3
layers of cells)
- Calcium oxalate clusters in many
of the parenchyma cells
(a) TS hypanthium below ovary
(b) TS hypanthium thru ovary
TS Hypanthium (Contd)
• Ring of bicollateral vascular
bundles
- short spindle shaped phloem
fibres
- spiral xylem vessels
• Zone of aerenchyma (with air
spaces)
• Columella with parenchymatous
(with ca ox) ground tissue and a
ring of 17 small vascular bundles
Detailed Sector Diagram of TS Hypanthium
Microscopy of Clove (Contd)
• Sepals and Petals
- epidermal cells with straight anticlinal walls, anomocytic stomata
- smooth cuticle. Petals similar but no stomata.
• Stamen
- long filament with and swollen head structure called anther
- Epidermis of filament consists of longitudinal elongated cells
-fibrous layer of anther wall composed of cells with spiral bands of
lignified thickenings
- pollen grains triangular in shape, smooth exine, truncated apex
MICROSCOPY: POWDERED SAMPLE
• Starch, calcium oxalate prisms and sclereids absent
• Dark brown
• Broken oil glands
• Pollen grain
• Spiral vessels
• Clusters of calcium oxalate
• Short spindle shaped fibres
• Fibrous layers of anther
Note:
• Mother cloves contain starch
• Clove stalk contain sclereids
Chemical Constituents of Clove
• Cloves contain 14-21% of volatile oil, 10-13%
tannin
-Volatile oil contains eugenol, iso- eugenol,
farnesol, nerolidol, caryophyllene
• Triterpenes- stigmasterol, campestrol
• Test for Eugenol
Volatile oil + 50% KOH------- potassium eugenate
(needles)
* Test for Phenolics/Tannins
Volatile oil + FeCl3 ------ Blue indicating presence
of phenolics and tannins
USES: Clove oil
• Stimulant aromatic
• Condiment/Flavoring agent in food
• Antiseptic/ disinfectant
• Tooth ache
• Should be protected from light and heat
PYRETHRUM FLOWER
Pyrethri Flores
DEFINITION
• Pyrethrum flower (Insect flower) consists of the dried flower heads of
Tanacetum cineriifolium (Trev) Sch. Bip (Chrysanthemum
cinerarifolium (Trev) Vis., (Family Compositae)
• Perennial plant, cultivated in Kenya , India, Tanzania, Rwanda, Japan
• Flower head is a type of inflorescence (Racemose inflorescence)
• A racemose inflorescence with flat axis = capitulum
• Capitulum –old flowers at the periphery while new ones are at the
middle
• Outer wall of flower surrounded by bract which are lanceolate with a
thin membranous periphery and thick central region called keel
Periphery flowers (Ray florets,
ligulate florets
• Ovary is small and elongated with 2 carpels ,
1 locule with basal ovule
• Ovary is epigynous,
• Calyx with5 united sepals forming a cup
shape
• Corolla consists of 3 united long ribbon
shaped petals
• Flower is only pistillate, the florets project
out ( i e . ray florets) and white in color
• Floral Formula: K(5) C(3) G(2)
Disc Florets (= tubular florets)
• Similar ovary as the ray florets
• Stamens are epipetalous (united
with corolla)
• Syngenesious stamens (anther
lobes are united together into a
tube)
• Florets are regular or
actinomorphic , yellow in colour
• Bisexual or hermaphrodite
MICROSCOPY
• Bracts (forms a whorl, 2-4 rows = involucre)
- outer surface – anomocytic stomata,
-straight walled polygonal cells with striated cuticle
- T –shaped non glandular trichomes (multicellular stalk)
- glandular trichomes,(multicellular, biseriate head and
stalk
- Hypodermis (found below the epidermis) has lignified
thick walled fibres with pits.
-
-
-
Microscopy (Contd)
• Bracts (forms a whorl, 2-4 rows =
involucre)
- outer surface – anomocytic stomata,
-straight walled polygonal cells with
striated cuticle
- T –shaped non glandular trichomes
(multicellular stalk)
- glandular trichomes,(multicellular,
biseriate head and stalk
- Hypodermis (found below the epidermis)
has lignified thick walled fibres with pits. Types of Stamens
-
MICROSCOPY
• Corolla (Disc floret)
*Upper epidermis- polygonal cells with papillae
- cuticle in is striated, presence of ca ox clusters
*Lower epidermis - polygonal cells with striated cuticle
- presence of calc ox rosette
MICROSCOPY
• Corolla (Ray floret)
* Upper Epidermis – polygonal cells and papillosed
-smooth cuticle and no striated
* Lower Epidermis – polygonal cells with striated cuticle
MICROSCOPY : POWDERED
PYRETHRUM
* Diagnostic features
- light yellow colour , odourless, slightly bitter
- spiny pollen grains
- T=shaped non glandular trichomes
- glandular trichomes
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS
• Bitter principles (Esters) known as PYRETHRINS
- Pyrethrolone + Chrysanthemic acid = Pyrethrin I
- Pyrethrolone + Chrysanthemic dicarboxylic acid = Pyrethrin II
- Cinerolone + Chrysanthemic acid = Cinerin I
- Cinerolone + Chrysanthemic dicarboxylic acid = Cinerin II
- Jasmololone + Chrysanthemic acid = Jasmolin I
- Jasmololone + Chrysanthemic dicarboxylic acid= Jasmolin II
Chemical Constituents of Pyrethrum
BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY/USES
• The Esters have insecticidal property with ability to paralyse and kill
insects (called knock down effect )
• Applied to skin, to kill head lice, household insecticides ,
• Protection of crops, livestock
