DEPARTMENT OF LIFE AND AGRICULTURE SCIENCES

BIOTECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING
PLANT BIOLOGY I
REPORT #6

TOPIC: ANATOMY, MORPHOLOGY AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE

FLOWER AND THE FRUIT

General objective:
Identify the anatomy, morphology and classification of the flower and fruit.
Specific objectives:
 Become familiar with the general morphology of the flower, differentiating its
basic parts and their variants.
 Identify and morphologically classify the structural elements of a simple fruit
and a compound fruit
 Identify anatomical structures of the gynoecium and androecium.
 Discuss the function of dyes used in staining plant tissues based on scientific
literature.
Introduction:
Flowers are a set of modified leaves, identified as the reproductive organ of plants. They
are formed from floral buds, these are characterized by having limited apical growth,
and when they stop growing they form floral cycles. The flowers have several layers of
leaves, thus forming the calyx, the corolla, the androecium and the gynoecium. (Rueda,
2014) (Grupo Santillana, 2006)

The calyx is the set of sepals, they are located at the base of the flower; In dicotyledons
they are usually green and shaped like leaves, while in monocotyledons they look like
petals; They have the function of protecting the flower bud. The corolla is made up of
the petals, they are located above the sepals, they usually have bright colors and
perfume; Its function is to attract insects to help in the pollination process. (Audesirk,
Audesirk, & Byers, 2008)

The essential structures in the flower are the androecium, male reproductive structures,
and the gynoecium, female reproductive structures. The androecium is made up of the
set of stamens, these are attached above the petals, they are generally made up of a long,
thin filament that supports a structure called anther, which is what produces pollen. The
gynoecium is made up of carpels or also called carpellar leaves, they are found in the
center of the flower, they are usually vase-shaped with a sticky stigma to trap pollen
placed on an elongated style; The latter connects the stigma and the ovary, where one or
more eggs are housed. As the plant matures, the ovary forms protective structures (fruit)
around the ovules transformed into seeds. (Audesirk, Audesirk, & Byers, 2008) (Rueda,
2014)

The fruit is the transformed and mature ovary that has the seeds inside, it is formed after
fertilization. Its function is to protect the seeds and facilitate their dispersion, in order to
find an ideal place for growth. It is made up of seeds and pericarp, this in turn is made
up of layers: epicarp, covers and protects the internal part, it may have adaptations;
mesocarp, is the fleshy part of the fruit, it can be fleshy, fibrous or dry; and endocarp
inner part that protects the seeds. (Rueda, 2014) (Grupo Santillana, 2006)

Samples:

Vegetal material :
FLOWERS : cucarda, passion fruit or granadilla, rose, broom, broccoli or turnip, red
geranium, miramelindo, wheat, iso, anthurium or cartridge, sunflower, supirrosa, kidney
tomato, illusions or gypsophylas, grape, holco, cilantro, amaranth, gladiolus or blue
grass, green fig, panama or Christmas flower, bougainvillea, eucalyptus, arete, lemon.
FRUITS : Legume or bean pod, wild turnip silicle; eucalyptus or castor capsule,
sunflower, corn, walnut, peach, olive, pepper, grape, orange, Meyer lemon, small
melon, apple or pear, strawberry, blackberry, pineapple or soursop, ripe fig (black),
jacaranda, false acacia .
Other materials provided by students : permanent fine tip marker.
Equipment:
6 Stereo microscopes, 6 microscopes
Personal protection materials:
White apron with seal and name, bow or mesh for students with long hair.
Reagents: Dyes: safranin, toluidine blue, glycerinated gelatin.
Materials and supplies: 12 Object cover plates, 12 object holders, 12 tweezers, 12
dissection needle, 12 scalpel blades, 12 scalpel handles, 12 glass Petri dishes, 20
disposable plastic pipettes, 250 ml of distilled water, paper towel, masking tape, watch
glass.

Procedure: (taken from Páez, 2014)

Previous activities :
1. Study: Chapter from the book “Systematic Botany” by Dr. Darwin Rueda.
2. Define: (Rueda, 2014)
 Monospermous fruit: It is the fruit that has only one seed.
  Polyspermous fruit: It is the fruit that has more than one seed.
 Monocarpic Fruit: It results from the maturation of a flower with a single ovary,
which can be monocarpellar or polycarpellar, like the plum and apple
respectively.
 Apocarpic Fruit: It is the fruit that comes from a gynoecium whose carpels are
free forming separate pistils, like the strawberry.
 Syncarpic Fruit: It is a fruit whose gynoecium from which it has matured had
several fused carpels forming a single mass or body called concrescents.
Example: soursop.

1. FLOWER MORPHOLOGY:

1.1 EXTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE FLOWER:

a) The cucarda, arete and geranium flowers were dissected. Removing the outermost
floral layers. In each case it was determined whether the flower had sepals, petals,
tepals or epicalyx. The presence of androecium and gynoecium was determined.
b) The eucalyptus flower and the lemon flower were observed, it was determined
whether the specimens had complete or incomplete, perfect or imperfect flowers.
c) Among the floral samples, a hypogynous flower, a perigynine flower and an
epigynous flower were selected, their structural elements were noted.

1.2 INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE FLOWER:

a) Longitudinal and transverse cuts of the lemon ovary were made, a drop of safranin
was placed and the number of locules and placentation that the species presented was
determined.
b) Longitudinal cuts were made of the lily anthers, a drop of water was placed, the
number of pollen sacs, the location of the connective tissue and the protective
integuments were determined.
c) Observation of pollen grains : The mature stamens of cucarda and granadilla were cut
and placed in watch glasses. Next, a well-spread drop of glycerin is deposited with the
pipette in the center of the slide. The stamen is shaken so that the pollen grains adhere to
the glycerin and the preparation was observed under a microscope with coverslips.

1.3 FLOWER ARRANGEMENT IN THE PLANT:

a) Classification of flowers: The following types of inflorescences were placed in the
inn: Raceme, corymb, umbel, spadix, catkin, chapter, head, uniparous, biparous, simple
panicle, compound panicle, compound umbel, cluster of spikes, spike of spikes, sycone
and ciatio, in each case it was indicated what type of inflorescence it corresponded to
(simple or compound; indefinite or defined; pedicellate or sessile), its species and
structural elements.

2. FRUIT MORPHOLOGY:

2.1 EXTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE FRUIT

a) In the following fruits: jacaranda, walnut, silicua and false acacia; It was determined
which structures act in its dispersion.

2.2 INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE FRUIT

a) The following fruits were dissected: peach, strawberry, olive, lemon and blackberry;
its parts were identified.
b) Classification of fruits: The following types of fruits were placed in the inn: beans,
wild turnip; eucalyptus, sunflower, corn, walnut, peach, olive, pepper, grape,
orange, Meyer lemon, small melon, apple or pear, strawberry, blackberry, pineapple
or soursop, ripe fig (black), a table was made responding to the following details:
 By its nature: simple, aggregate, multiple, monocarpic, apocarpic, syncarpic.
 By its texture: whether it is dry or meaty
 By its dehiscence: dehiscent or not.
 By the number of seeds: monosperm or polysperm.

Primary results:
-Identification of the structural elements and classification of a flower and
inflorescences
-Identification of structural elements and classification of simple and compound fruits.

Results report:
1. FLOWER MORPHOLOGY
1.1 EXTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE FLOWER
1.1.1 External structure of the flower
1.1.2 Types of flower

1.1.3 Types of flower by location of the ovary

1.2 INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE FLOWER
1.2.1 flower placentation
1.2.2 Cross section of lily anther (40x)

1.2.3 pollen grains

Cucarda (40x) Granadilla (40x)
1.3 FLOWER ARRANGEMENT IN THE PLANT

Plant arrangement

to. Solitary (Cucarda and granadilla) b. Composite (Linden and dill)

Simple inflorescences

1. Indefinite
1.1 Pedicelade

to. Cluster (Bugambilla) b. Corymb (Arete)

 c. Umbel (Geranium)

1.2 Sessile

to. Spadix (Cartridge) b. Chapter (Sunflower)

 c. Cabezuela (Supirrosa) d. Spike (Gladiolus)

and. Pussy

2. Defined
 to. Uniparous (Kidney Tomato) b. Biparous (Dicacia)

Compound inflorescences

to. Simple panicle (Grape) b. Composite umbel (Lime and dill)

c. Sicono (Fig) d. Compound panicle (Holco)

 and. cluster of ears F. spike of spike

g. Ciatio

2. FRUIT MORPHOLOGY
2.1 External structure of the fruit

Jacaranda: simple fruit of dry and deshiscent pericardium (capsule)

Silique of wild turnip: simple fruit of dry and dehiscent pericardium (silicua or silicula)

False acacia: simple fruit of dry and dehiscent pericardium (legume or pod)
Walnut: simple fruit of dry indehiscent pericarp (walnut)

2.2 INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE FRUIT

2.2.1 Internal structure of the fruit
2.2.2 Fruit classification
1. Simple pericarp fruits
1.1 Dry
1.1.1 Dehiscent

to. legume or pod b. Silique or silicula c. Capsule

1.1.2 Indehiscent

to. Achene b. Caryopsis c. Nut

1.2 Fleshy

to. Drupe
b. Berry

2. Composite fruit
2.1 Aggregate or polyachenium
2.2 Multiple

to. Sorosis b. Sicono

c. Multidrupa

2.3 Apparent
Questionnaire:
1. Draw and identify at least 5 flowers according to their floral symmetry
(zygomorphic, actinomorphic or asymmetrical)
a) Bilateral, zygomorphic or irregular symmetry. Orchid flowers and papilionaceous
plant.

b) Radial or actinomorphic symmetry . Cucarda and jasmine flowers.

c) Asymmetrical . achira flower.

0. What is the function of pollen?

The function of pollen is to contain both the generative or reproductive nucleus and the
vegetative nucleus. The pollen grain descends through the pollen tube, forming two
sperm nuclei that will give rise to double fertilization and thus form the fruit and the
seed. (Rueda, 2011)
Pollen also provides the male gametes with a structure that facilitates their transport and
diffusion to carry out fertilization, thus its external covering or exine and the internal
covering or intina protect the contents of the microspores.
0. What is a vector?
A pollination vector is an organism that transports pollen to other flowers, but we can
also speak of biological vectors as organic agents that are means of transmitting
diseases.
Pollination vectors can be biotic and abiotic.
Biotics are: insects (hymenoptera, diptera, lepidoptera), birds (hummingbirds),
mammals (bats). Abiotic factors can be water and wind.

Conclusions:
For the morphological and anatomical identification of the flower, the cucarda species
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis was used; the floral whorls calyx, corolla, gynoecium (ovary,
style, stigma), and androecium (stamens) were clearly observed; This is a perfect
flower, which made it easy to identify each of its parts.

It was possible to classify the flowers according to the arrangement on the plant of the
various species that were obtained for the laboratory, this was done based on the Rueda
flower class (2014); Solitary, compound flowers and inflorescences were easily
differentiated.

As the fruit has a simple structure, it was easy to identify its internal parts (seed,
epicarp, mesocarp, and endocarp), and the different species of fruit were classified as
dry and fleshy; The simple fruits that are characterized by their little fleshiness, some
open to release the seed and others do not. The compounds were characterized by their
meatiness or juicy pulp, they can be aggregated, multiple and apparent.

Discussion

According to (Fuentes, 2008) the flower is a sprout whose leaves undergo modifications
related to reproduction. It consists of a peduncle with a widening at the top (floral
receptacle) where the floral parts are located: calyx, corolla, stamens and carpels. the
calyx and corolla are sterile elements; Sometimes the calyx, the corolla or both are
missing at the same time.

The fertile elements are the stamens and carpels. Flowers that lack a peduncle are called
seated, the calyx is the outermost covering; It is made up of thick, green leaves, called
sepals, whose mission is to protect the flower at the beginning of its development. The
corolla is made up of thin, colored sheets, called petals, whose mission is to attract
pollinating insects. Generally the petals are modified leaves, but in some cases (roses
and cultivated carnations) they have evolved from the stamens.

The carpels, given their similarity to leaves, have always been considered fertile leaves,
on whose margins is the placenta, which gives rise to the ovules or seminal primordia.
These margins fold inwards and can join together ( apocarpic gynoecium), or with the
margins of other carpels (syncarpic gynoecium). The stigma is fundamentally composed
of cells that carry out an important secretion of substances that act effectively in the
processes of incompatibility or rejection of unsuitable pollen grains that may be
deposited there. The glandular epidermis of the stigma normally has papillae and is
covered by a cuticle; the style develops between the stigma and the ovary (Santamaria,
García & Vilella, 2005)

It is corroborated according to Santamaria, García & Vilella, (2005) that although the
size and shape of the stamens are very variable, the anther generally has four pollen sacs
or microsporangia (Fig. 1.2.2) also states that there is a large invagination that divides
the anther into two lobes or thecae, joined by an area of sterile tissue, called the
connective tissue. In each of these lobes there are two pollen sacs, which may be next to
them. more or less separated by an invagination.

The fruit is clearly defined according to Gutiérrez & Albánchez, (2010) as the mature
ovary that surrounds the seed, and in many cases it is of considerable size and is edible
(grapes, pears, oranges, etc.) the fact that many fruits being edible is important, since
these are eaten by animals on occasions, the seeds are released from the fruit and are not
ingested by the animal, and on other occasions they are ingested, but due to the
enormous resistance of the episperm they are not digested, releasing with excrement in
any way, thus ensuring that the seed is dispersed throughout the terrestrial environment.

Safranin is a biological contrast dye used in staining to provide a violet color. Safranin
is used as a contrast liquid in some staining protocols, coloring the cell nucleus red. This
dye is used especially for animal and plant histological techniques. Most plant tissues
are composed of water. For this reason, safranin is used to color the tissues and facilitate
the observation of these structures (Carvajal, 2010).

References
Bibliography:
Audesirk, T., Audesirk, G., & Byers, B. E. (2008). Biología: La vida en la Tierra
(Octava ed.). México: Pearson Educación.
Carvajal-Sandoval, Alicia.(2010). Manual de histología vegetal. México: Instituto
Politécnico Nacional.Gutiérrez, Francisco, and Albánchez. (2010) Inés. Botánica. USA:
Firmas Press.
Fuentes Yagüe, J. L. (2008). Iniciación a la botánica. España: Mundi-Prensa.
Grupo Santillana. (2006). La Enciclopedia del Estudiante: tomo I: ciencias de la
vida (Primera ed.). Buenos Aires: Santillana.
Paez, G. (2014). Laboratory practice guide: Anatomy, morphology and
classification of the flower and fruit (Laboratory practice guide No. 6) (p. 3). Sangolquí,
Ecuador: ESPE University of the Armed Forces. Recovered from
http://evirtual2.espe.edu.ec/location.cgi?
id_curso=8813&wseccion=03&esMicrositio=no&wid_archivo=12754
Rueda, D. (2014). Systematic Botany: Interactive Course. Sangolquí:
Publi&compu.
Santamarina Siurana, Mª Pilar, García Breijo, Francisco José, and Vilella Fayos,
Vicente. (2005). Biology and Botany . Volume I. Spain: Editorial of the Polytechnic
University of Valencia.