SYSTEMATICS│LABORATORY
Exercise 6: k. Glumes - are membranous bracts that
Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Anthophyta
ANGIOSPERMS
● Flowers are the means of reproduction
● Ovules are surrounded by two integuments.
● Capable of double fertilization, which leads
to formation of polyploid endosperm
tissue.
● Simple microgametophytes and
megagametophytes.
● Stamens possess two pairs of pollen sacs.
● Sieve tubes and companion cells present in
the phloem, vessels in the xylem.
Classes within this Phylum Anthophyta
● Liliopsida or Monocotyledoneae (monocots)
- monocotyledonous flowering plants
● Magnoliopsida or Dicotyledoneae (dicots) -
dicotyledonous flowering plants
Definition of Terms
a. Actinomorphic - flowers exhibiting radial
symmetry
b. Angiosperms - are vascular plants that
produce flowers and bear their seeds on
fruits
c. Annual plant: plants that complete the life
cycle in one growing season (1 year)
d. Apetalous - flowering plants having no
petals
e. Awned: hairlike or bristle-like
f. Axile placentation: the placentae are
located on a central column
g. Biseriate: Referring to a perianth with two
whorls or rows; i.e. with both calyx and
corolla.
h. Bisexual - plants possessing both male and
female reproductive structures
i. Epiphytic - a plant that derives moisture and
nutrients from a plant that it latches on
j. Gamopetalous - flowers in which their
petals are fused to form a corolla tube
subtend the spikelets of grasses or the
flowers of sedges.
l. Gymnosperms - flowerless plants that
produce cones and seeds. Unlike
angiosperms, their seeds are not encased
within an ovary
m. Herbaceous - are non-woody plants
n. Hypanthium rim - an enlargement of the
floral receptacle bearing on its rim the
stamens, petals, and sepals
o. Keeled: Boat-shaped structure formed by
the fusion of two anterior petals of a flower
p. Locules - a small compartment as the pollen
containing cavity within an anther
q. Megagametophyte - the female
gametophyte that is produced by a
megaspore
r. Microgametophyte - male gametophyte
produced by a microspore of a
heterosporous plant
s. Nectariferous glandular disc - a structure
situated between the stamen and pistil that
produces nectar
t. Perennial plant: plants that live on for three
years or longer.
u. Pollination - act of transferring pollen grains
from male anther of a flower to the female
stigma
v. Spadix - a floral spike with a fleshy or
succulent axis usually enclosed in a spathe
w. Spathe - a bract or a pair of bracts that
encloses a spadix or a flower cluster
x. Spermatophyte - plants that reproduce by
means of seeds
y. Stipulate - have stipules that is outgrowth
borne on either side of the base of the
leafstalk
z. Unisexual - plants which have the male and
female flowers on separate individuals
aa. Zygomorphic - a flowering plant that have
only one plane of symmetry; bilaterally
symmetrical
Division Anthophyta
● The gametes are produced within flowers ● The ovule-bearing structures are
and the ovules (the seeds into which they called carpels
develop) are enclosed in a carpel.
● The largest and youngest phylum of plants
and the one whose members dominate the
vegetation of the modern world.

The most important parts of the angiosperms

are the flower and the fruit.

Whorls of a Flower

1. Sepal
● Protects the flower bud
● The outermost sepals are collectively
called the calyx
2. Petal
● Collectively called the corolla
Classifying flowers
● Usually brightly colored and large to
Whorls
attract pollinators
● Complete - all 4 whorls are present
● The petals and sepals are collectively
● Incomplete - at least 1 whorl is missing
called perianth
Sex
● Tepal is the term used when the sepals
● Perfect - both fertile whorls (stamen
and petals are hard to distinguish from
and pistil) are present
each other.
● Imperfect - only one fertile whorl is
3. Stamen
present
● One of the fertile parts of the flower
● Staminate - only stamen is present
(usually referred to as the male part of
● Pistillate - only pistil is present
the flower)
Symmetry
● Collectively called the androecium
● Actinomorphic (regular) - radial
Parts:
symmetry
Anther
● Zygomorphic (irregular) - bilateral
● Fusion of four pollen-containing
symmetry
chambers called microsporangia.
Ovary location
Filament
● Hypogynous - superior ovary; other
● The stalk that holds the anther
whorls are attached to the receptacle
4. Pistil
below the ovary
● Usually referred to as the female part
● Epigynous - inferior ovary; other whorls
of the flower and is centrally located
are attached to the receptacle above
● Collectively called the gynoecium
the ovary
Parts:
● Perigynous - other whorls are attached
Stigma
halfway to the ovary
● Receptive area for pollen grains
Presence of fertile parts
Style
● Monoecious - the plant bears both
● A stalk the connects the stigma with
staminate and pistillate flowers in the
the ovary
same plant
Ovary
● Contains the ovules primed to
become the seeds.
 ● Dioecious - the plant bears only either
staminate or pistillate flowers in the
same plant.
● Inflorescence - a cluster of flowers
Fruit
● The mature, ripened ovary containing
the seeds
● Play an important role in seed dispersal
for many angiosperms
Other characteristics that distinguish
angiosperms from other spermatophytes:
● Enclosure of seeds within the ovary
● Development of the endosperm Anthurium andraeanum

Family Orchidaceae
Class Liliopsida
● Plants are herbaceous and epiphytic;
● Seeds have one cotyledon
inflorescence is a raceme; flower is bisexual
● Leaf venation: parallel
and irregular or zygomorphic; petals three,
● Stem: scattered vascular bundles
middle petal modified to form a lip or
(atactostele)
labellum; sepals three (may be colored like
● Do not undergo secondary growth
that of petals); stamens and style united to
● Root system: adventitious
form a column. The stem consists of a short
● Flower: flower parts are usually in multiples
rhizome and an aerial shoot on which
of three
sheathing leaves arise in two ranks.

Zea mays seed showing cotyledon

Family Araceae

● Herbaceous plants; inflorescence is a Dendrobium sp.

spadix enclosed by a white, green or
colored spathe; flowers unisexual and
apetalous; fruit is a berry.
Family Poaceae or Granineae
● The family includes annual or perennial
herbs, rarely woody plants (such as
bamboo); leaf sheath present; basic
inflorescence unit is a spikelet
(inflorescence may be a spike, raceme or
panicle), a spikelet is composed of two
glumes at the base (lower and upper
glume), a lemma (which may be keeled or
 awned), a pistil and stamen; fruit is a grain
or caryopsis; flowers may be unisexual or
bisexual.
Oryza sativa
Class Magnoliopsida
● Seeds have two cotyledons
● Leaf venation: reticulate (net-like)
● Stem: vascular bundles form a concentric
ring (eustele) in primary growth
● Exhibit secondary growth due to the lateral
meristems, e.g., vascular cambium and
cork cambium
● Root system: taproot or adventitious
● Flower: Flower parts are usually in sets of 4
or 5
Corn Seed (monocot)
Bean Seed (dicot)
Difference between monocot and dicot seed
Family Caesalpiniaceae
● These plants are mostly trees or shrubs;
leaves are mostly pinnately compound;
inflorescence is either a raceme or spike;
flowers are stipulate or estipulate, bisexual,
commonly zygomorphic; petals typically
five; fruit is a legume or pod.
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Family Cucurbitaceae
● These plants either climbing or prostate
annual or infrequently perennial; leaves
have alternate arrangement on stems;
usually with spirally coiled tendrils (may be
simple, branched or forked) situated at the
upper part of the petiole; flowers unisexual
(rarely bisexual), actinomorphic; calyx five,
corolla gamopetalous, petals five; ovary
inferior; fruit is a pepo.
Cucurbita maxima
Family Malvaceae
● Plants are herbs, shrubs or trees; the leaves
are alternate, simple entire or variously
lobed and stipulated; flowers bisexual
(rarely unisexual), actinomorphic often
solitary, perianth biseriate but calyx
frequently subtended by epicalyx, fine
sepals, five petals; numerous stamen; pistil
 typically one; ovary superior with two to
many locules; placentation is axile; fruits a
capsule, sometimes a berry or samara.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Family Rosaceae
● Plants are trees, shrubs or herbs, often
thorny, sometimes climbing; leaves are
alternate, simple or pinnately compound,
stipules usually present; flowers usually
bisexual or infrequently unisexual,
actinomorphic, generally perigynous, calyx
five, petals arise from hypanthium rim
(cup-like receptacle) with nectiferous
glandular disc; stamens numerous; ovary
superior or inferior, when compound,
composed of 2-5 locules with axile
placentation; fruit an achene, follicle,
pome, drupe, or aggregation of drupelets.
Rosa sp.
Guide Questions
1. Describe three structural features of
flowers that are insect pollinated? Wind
pollinated?
Three structural features of flowers that
enable them to be insect pollinated are as
follows:
● Are large, brightly colored, and have a
certain scent (to attract insects)
● Upright stamens that expose sticky and
spiky pollen grains that are easily attached
to the hairy appendages of insects.
● The pollen grains they produce are hairy or
sticky; they are produced in limited
quantities.
Wind pollination in flowers can be
attributed to the following structural
characteristics:
● Flowers are small, and plain in form as they
do not need to attract insects. Most have
exposed stamen and stigmas for easier
pollen dispersal and collection in the wind.
● Have stigmas that are long and feathery,
which gives it a larger surface area for
catching pollen; it hangs out of the petals.
● Pollen grains are smaller and lighter in
weight, which can be carried by the wind
easily.
2. Cite some adaptive features developed by
fruit that held in dispersal of their seeds
using the following agents of dispersal.
Wind
● Samara fruits of the sycamore maple
are light and possess wing-like
appendages that allow them to be
easily carried by the wind, away from
the parent tree.
● Other adaptations include the common
dandelion’s anthocarp fruits, which
possess pappus, feather-like tufts,
which are hairlike and lightweight,
ideal for wind dispersal.
● To ensure that at least some of the
seeds land in a suitable place, plants
whose fruit disperse seeds via the wind
produce a lot of seeds and fruit
Water
● Fruits who disperse their seeds using
water are buoyant and light, allowing
the fruits to float in water.
● Some may also have a hard exterior
that prevents water diffusion and
further permits buoyancy.
 ● Examples of plants whose main agent
of seed dispersal is water are coconuts
(Cocos nucifera) and the common
mangrove (Rhizophora mangle)

Insects

● One example of seed dispersal by

insects is myrmecochory, which is seed
dispersal by ants.
● The African Mahogany capsule fruits
contain seeds with attached
elaiosomes, fatty and fleshy structures
rich in proteins, which attract ants and
allow the seeds to be carried in
colonies or dropped on the way, where
they can grow into a new plant.

3. How do flowers contribute to the

dominance, diversity and wide distribution
of the angiosperms?
● Flowers are extremely vital to the
dominance, diversity, and wide
distribution of the angiosperms. It is
one of the main differences between
angiosperms and gymnosperms –
angiosperms primarily reproduce
through flowers, while gymnosperms
do not possess flowers and reproduce
through cones called strobili.
● Angiosperm seeds are more protected
and develop inside an ovary which then
usually becomes the fruit in most cases
– ensuring a large chance of survival.
While both utilize pollen, angiosperm
pollen dispersal is more diversified as
there are many agents of pollination.
● These differences brought about by
flowers contribute to the dominance,
diversity, and wide distribution of the
angiosperms as evidenced by the
varying form and habitat of
angiosperms in contrast to
gymnosperms (Zimmerman et al.,
2019).