Morphology of Flowering Plant

Plant Morphology
•Branches of science which deals with deals with the study of external
form,structure and various modification of plants
•Flowering plant body is differentiated into root system(underground
part) and aerial system(portion above the ground)
Root
•Roots are non-chlorphyllous and underground part of plants
•Elongated of radicle from primary root
•Primary root bears lateral root of several orders that are referred
to as secondary,tertiary etc roots
Types of root

Tap root Fibrous root Adventitious root

•Mainly in dicots •Mainly in monocots •Roots arise from parts of
•Includes primary root •Primary root is shorted plants other than radicle
and its branches lived and replaced by a large
number of roots originates
from the base of the stem

(Primary root)

(Secondary Originates from the

root) base of the stem Banyana tree mai
asani se dekha sakte
hai Adventitous roots
Functions of root

•Absorption of water •Provide anchorage of •Storage of reserve •Synthesis of plant growth

and mineral from soil plant parts food materials regulators(PGRs)
 Region of root

Root cap Region of meritematic Region of cell Region of maturation

activity elongation
•Thimble-like •Cells of this region are very •The cell of this •The cell of this region
structure which small ,thin-walled with region undergo differentiated into
cover the apex dense protoplasm rapid elongation permanent tissue
of the root •They divide repeatedly and enlargement •Some epidermal cells
•Protects the •They are responsible from this region forms
tender apex growth of the root very fine and delicate
of root as it in length thread-like structure
makes its way called root hairs which
through soil help in absorption of
water and minerals

(Zone of cell
division)

Stem
•Develops from the plumule of the embryo of a germinating seed
•It bear nodes and internodes
Node-Region of the stem where leaves are born
Internode-Portion between two nodes
•Bear buds which can be terminal or axillary
•Stem are generally green when yong but after maturation they become woody and
dark brown
Internode
Node
Function of stem

Bearing flower,leaves Conducts water,minerals Storage of food Support Protection Vegetative

and fruits and photosysnthates propagation
Leaf
•Laterally generally flat structure ,developed at node and bear a bud in its axil
•Axillary bud later developed into branches
•Arise from shoot apical meristem and arranged in acropical order(Naya at top purana at base)
•Consists of 3 parts -Leaf base,Petiole and Lamina
•Leaf base-Leaf is attached to stem by this base and may bear two lateral small leaf like structure
called stipules
•Petiole- Help hold the blade to light ,long thin flexible petioles allow leaf blades to flutter in wind
,thus it helps in cooling the leaf and bringing fresh air to leaf surface
•Lamina/leaf blade- Green expanded part of leaf with veins and veinlets
•Pulvinus-Swollen leafbase of leguminous plants
•Stipules-2 lateral small leaf like
•In monocotyledons the leaf base expands into sheath covering the stem partially and wholly.
•The shape ,margin,apex,surface and extent of incision of lamina varies in different leaves

Venation

•The arrangement of veins and veinlet in the lamina of leaf is termed as venation
•Midrib-A middle prominent vein

Venation

Recticulate Parallel
•Veinlets from a network •Veins runs parallel to
•Found in dicotyledons each other within lamina
•Found in most monocots

Midrib

Veins-provide rigidity to lamina

and acts as channels of transport
for water ,minerals and food
materials
 Types of leaves

Simple leaf Compound leaf

Monstera deliciosa
leaf
Pinnately compound leaf Palmately compound leaf

Simple leaf
•When its lamina is entire or when incised ,the incision do not touch the midrib .

Mango leaf

Compond leaf

•When the incisions of the lamina reach up to the midrib breaking it into a number of leaflets

Leaflets Neem leaf

Simple leaf Compound leaf

•The lamina does not differentiate into leaflets •The lamina differentiates into two or more
leaflets
•The base of the leaf may have stipule •The stipules may occur at the base of the
whole leaf
•A bud lies in its axile •A bud lies in the axile of the whole leaf but
the individual leaflets do not bear axillary
buds
Pinnately compound leaf
•A number of leaflets are present on a compond axis,the rachis ,which represents the midrib of the
leaf

Neem

Palmately compound leaf

•The leaflets are attached at a common point i.e. at the tip of petiole

Silk cotton

Phyllotaxy
•Pattern of arrangement of leaves on the stem or branch.

Phyllotaxy

Alternate Opposite Whorled

•A single leaf arises at each •A pair of leaves arise at •If more than 2
node in alternate node each other and lie opposite leaves arise at
to each other a node and form
a whorl

Guava Alstonia
China rose
Inflorescence

•Inforescence-Arrangement of flower on the floral axis

•The apex produces different kinds of floral appendages laterally at successive nodes instead of leaves
•Solitary flower-Shoot tip transfer into a flower

•During flowering Shoot apical meristem modifies into floral meristem

Internodoes do not elongate and axis get condensed

Inflorescence

Racemose Cymose
•Main axis continues to grow •Main axis terminates
•Flower brone laterally in into a flower (limited
acropetal successsion growth)
•Flower borne in
basipetal succession

Young flower

Naye flower tip par and

old flower base ke pass

Old flower Old flower tip par and new

flower base ke pass

Flower

•Sexual reproductive unit of angiosperm

•Thalamus/receptacle-A typical flower has four different kinds of whorls arranged successively on
the swollen end of the stalk or pedical
Parts of flower

Calyx Corolla Androecium Gynoecium

•Outermost •Composed of petals •Male reproductive part •Female
whorl •Brightly coloured to attract •Compossed of stamens reproductive part
•Members called pollinaters Stamens=filament+anther •Composed of one
sepal or more carpels
•Protect flower Carpel consist of
in bud stage stigma,style and
•Generally ovary
green
•Radial symmetry •Irregular •Bilateral symmetry
•Flower can be divided into •Can not be divided into 2 •Flower can be divided
2 equal halves in any planes similar halves by any into 2 similar halves only
through centre vertical plane through the in particular vertical
Example-Datura,chilli centre.Example-Canna planes .Example-Cassia

Actinomorphic Asymmetric Zygomorphic

Based on symmetry

Have either only stamens or Uisexual

Trimerous Floral appendages are
only carpels
Based on multiple of 3
sexuality of
Flower Tetramerous Floral appendages of
flower
multiple of 4

Have both androecium and Bisexual Pentamerous Floral appendages of

gynoecium multiple of 5

Based on position of calyx,corolla and androecium in respect of ovary on thalamus

Hypogynous Perigynous Epigynous

•Gynoceium occupies •Gynoecium situated in •Margin of thalamus

highest position while centre ,other parts located grows upward
other parts are situated on the rim of thalamus enclosing ovary
below it •Ovary half inferior completely and get
•Superior ovary Example-Rose fused with it other
Example-China rose Peach parts arise above the
Mustard Plum ovary
Brinjal •Ovary inferior
Example-Guava
Ye flow chart bahut important hai cucumber
Sunflower

Hypogynous Perigynous Epigynous

•Perianth-Calyx and corolla are not distinct ,like lily

•Bracteate-Flower with bracts-reduced leaf round at the base of the pedical
•Ebracteate-Flower with without bracts
 Calyx

Gamosepalous Polysepalous
•Sepals united •Sepals free

Corolla (Phool ki pankhudi)

Gamopetalous Polypetalous
•Petals united •Petals free

Aestivation
•The mode of arrnagement of sepals or petals in thr floral bud with respect to the other members of
the same whorl

Aestivation Important hai!

Valvate Twisted Imbricate Vexillary

•When sepals •If one margin •If the margin •Consist of 5 petals
and petals of the of sepals and
in a whorl appendages petals overlap
just touch overlaps that one another Standard Wings Keel
one another of the next one but not in a •Largest •TwoLateral •Smallest petals
at the and so on particular petals petals which •Anterior petals
margin Example- China direction •Overalps get overlaped which get
without rose Example- the two by standard overlaped by
overlapping Cotton Cassia lateral •Overlap the wing
Example- Gulmohar petals two anterior
Calotropis petals
Example-Pea and Bean flower
Standard

Wings

Keel

Valvate Twisted Imbricate Papilionaceous

Androecium

•Each anther is usually bilobed and each lobe has two chamber,called pollen sacs
•Pollen grains are produced in pollen sacs
•Staminode-Sterile stamens
•Stamens of flower may be united with other members such as petals or among themselves
•There may be a variation in the length of filaments within a flower.Example-Salvia and Mustard
Important terms-
•Epipetalous-When stamens are attached to the petals.Example-Brinjal
•Epiphyllous-When stamens are attached to the perianth .Example-Lily
•Polyandrous-When stamens in a flower are free
•Monoadelphous-Stamens may be united into one bunch or one bundle.Example-China rose
•Diadelphous-Stamens may be united into two bundle.Example-Pea
•Polydelphous-Stamens may be united into more than two bundles.Example-Citrus

Gynoecium

Carpel

Ovary Style Stigma

•Ovary is a •Connects the •Tips of style
enlarged basal ovary to the •Receptive surface
part,on the which stigma for pollen grains
lies the elongated
tube
•Each ovary bears one or more ovules attached to a flattened ,cushion- like placenta
Importanat terms-
•Apocarpous-When more than one carpel is present,they may be free.Example-Lotus and rose
•Syncarpous-When carpel are fused,.Example-Mustard and Tomato

Placentation
(The arrangement of ovules whithin the ovary )

Marginal Axile Parietal Free central Basal

•Placenta forms •Ovules are •Ovules developed on the •Ovules are •Placenta
a ridge along the attached on inner wall borne on central develops at base
ventral suture of multilocular of the ovary/ axis and septum of ovary and a
the ovary and ovary on paripheral is absent single ovule is
ovules are born Example-China part Example- attached to
on this ridge rose •Ovary is one-chamber but Primrose it.Example-
forming 2 rows it becomes two chambered Dianthus Sunflower
Example-Pea due to false Marigold
septum.Example-Agemone

Example yaad
rakhana
 Fruit

Ripped into
Ovary Fruit

Seed Pericarp (May be dry /fleshy)

Epicarp Mesocarp Endocarp

Important terms-
•Parthenocarpic fruit- Fruit is formed without fertilisation of ovary
•Drupe fruit-Developed from monocarpellary superior ovaries and are one seeded
Example-Mango pericarp is well differentiated into an outer thin epicarp ,a middle fleshy edible
mesocarpand inner stony hard endocarp.Coconut is also a drupe , the mesocarp is fibrous

Seed
Ovule
(After fertilisation)
Into seed

Seed coat Embryo

(In Dicotyledonous seed)

Testa Tegmen
Radicle One/two Embryonal
(Outer layer) (Inner layer)
cotyledons axis
Structure of Dicotyledonous seed
•The hilum is a scar on the seed coat throught which the developing seed were attached to the fruit
•Micropyle-Small pore above hilum
•Embryo consist of an embryonal axis and two cotyledons
•Cotyledons are often fleshy and full of reserve food material
•At the two ends of the embryonal axis are present the radicle and plumule
•Endospermic seed-The seed in which endosperm ( food storing tissue) is present ,endosperm is formed
as a result of double fertilisation Example-Castor
•Non-endospermic seed-Endosperm is not present in mature seed.Example-Bean,gram and pea
 Structure of Monoctyledonous seed

•Generally they are endospermic but some as in orchids are non-endospermic

•Endosperm is bulky and stores food
•Seed of cereals has seed coat which is membranous and generally fused with fruit wall
•Aleurone layer-Outer protenious layer which cover the endosperm and separates the embryo
•The embroyo is small and situated in a groove at one end of the endosperm
•It consist of one large and shield shaped scutellum and a short axis with a plumule and radicle

(Enclose plumule in sheaths)

(Enclose radicle in sheaths)

Semi-Technical Description of a typical Flowering plant

•Various morphological features are used to describe flowering plant.

•The requirement of description is -
1)Brief
2)Simple
3)Scientific language
4)in a proper sequence
The plant is described beginning with its habitat,vegetative characters-roots,stem,leaves and then
floral characters inflorescence and flower parts
After describing various parts of plant,a floral diagram and floral formula are presented
•A floral formula is represent by a some symbols-
Br-Bracteate
K-Calyx
C-Corolla
P-Perinath
A-Androecium
G-Gynoecium
G-Superior ovary Floral diagram and floral formula
G-Inferior ovary of mustard plants
♂ -Male Family-Brassicaceae
♀ -Female
⚥-Bisexual plants
⊕ -Actinomorphic
%-Zygomorphic
Rules-
•Fusion is indicated by enclosing the figure within bracket and adhesion by a line drawn above the
symbols of the floral parts
•The position of the mother axis with respect to the flower is represented by an dot on the top of the
floral diagram
•Calyx,corolla,androecium and gynoecium are drawn in successive whorls,Calyx being the outermost and
the gynoecium being the centre
Use of floral diagram and floral formula-
•A floral diagram provides information about the number of parts of a flower,their arrangement and
the relation they have with one another
•Floral formula shows cohesion and adhesion within parts of whorls and between whorls

Description of some Important Family

Solanaceae (Poatato family)

Characters Solanaceae
Stem Herbaceous rarly woodt,aerial,erect,cylindrical,branched,solid or hollow,hairy or
glabrous , underground stem in potato(Solanu, tuberosum)
Leaves Alternate,simple,rarely pinnately compound ,exstipulate;venation reticulate
Distibution Tropics,subtropics and even temperate zone
Inflorescence Solitary,axillaryor cymose as in Solanum
Flower Bisexual,actinomorphic
Calyx Setals five ,united, persistent,valavte aestivation
Corolla Petals five,united,valvate aestivation
Androecium Stamens five,epipetalous
Gynoecium Bicarpellary obligated placed ,syncarpous,ovarysuperior ,bilocular ,placenta
swollen with many ovules,axile
Fruits Berry and capsule
Seeds Many,endospermous
Floral formula
Economic Many plants belonging to this family are source of food
impotance (tomato,brinjal,potato),spies(chilli),medicine(belladonna,ashwagandha);
fumigatory(tabacco),Ornamental(petunia)

Sare example bahut important hai!!

NOTE: Worksheet (Important

questions of all typology with answers) is provided as a seperate PDF on website
padhleakshay.com