MORPHOLOGY OF

FLOWERING PLANTS
ROOT
Primary root
Secondary root ,teritiary root- tap root
Fibrous root-primary root is short lived and replaced by large number
of roots-originate from the base of the stem. Wheat
Adventitious roots-roots arise from the parts of the plant other than
the radicle eg banyan, grass,monster
Functions of roots-absorption,anchorage,storing,synthesis of plant
growth regulators
REGIONS OF ROOT
Root cap-protects and makes the way through the soil
Region of meristematic activity-small,thin walled,dense protoplasm
,divide repeatedly
Region of elongation-rapid elongation and
enlargement ,growth of theroot in length.
Region of maturation-cells differentiate and
mature,presence of root hairs
MODIFICATIONS OF ROOT
STORAGE ROOTS-carrot,turnip,sweet potato get swollen and store
food
PROP ROOTS/MODIFIED ADVENTITIOUS ROOT-hanging structures in
banyan tree,support
STILT ROOTS-maize and sugarcane-supporting root from lower nodes
of stem
PNEUMATOPHORES-Rhizophora-roots come out of the ground and
grow vertically upwards-help to get oxygen for respiration-small pores
present for gaseous exchange.
STEM
Plumule of the embryo
Nodes-the region of the stem where leaves are born
Internodes-the region between two nodes
Buds-axillary or terminal
Functions-conduction,storage,support,protection.vegetative
propagation
MODIFICATION OF STEM
STORAGE STEMS-Potato,ginger,turmeric,colocasia.they also act as organs of perennation(to tide
over unfavourable conditions)
TENDRILS-develop from axillary buds,slender,coiled,help to climb
Eg.cucumber,pumpkin,watermelon,grapevines
THORNS-modified axillary bud,protection,citrus,bougainvillea
PHYLLOCLADE-flattened (opuntia) or fleshy cylindrical(Euphorbia) modified stem. They contain
chlorophyll and carry out photosynthesis.
RUNNER-grass ans strawberry-spread to new niches and when older parts die new plants are
formed.
STOLON-mint and jasmine-lateral branch arise from the base of the main branch arch
downwards and touch the ground.
OFFSET-a lateral branch with short internodes and each node bearing a rosette of leaves and tuft
of roots- pistia and Eichhornia
SUCKERS-banana and pineapple-lateral branch originate from the underground portion of the
main stem,grow horizontally and then come out obliquely upward giving rise to leafy shoots
 LEAF
Originate from shoot apical meristem.
Arranged in acropetal position-youngest at the apex
LEAF BASE-part attached to the stem and bear leaf like stipules .In
monocots leaf base cover the stem partially or wholly. In legumes it
become swollen and is called the pulvinus
PETIOLE-hold the leaf blade,cooling the leaf,bringing the fresh air to
leaf surface
LAMINA/LEAF BLADE-green expanded part with veins and
veinlets,midrib-prominent vein.veins provide rigidity to the leaf blade
and act as channels for transport of water ,food and minerals.
VENATION-ARRANGEMENT OF VEINS IN THE
LAMINA
PARALLEL-
RETICULATE
TYPES OF LEAVES
SIMPLE-lamina is entire or incised ,
the incisions do not touch the midrib
COMPOUND-when the incisions of the lamina reach upto the midrib
braking it into number of leaflets,
PINNATELY COMPOUND-number of leaflets are present on a common
axis,the rachis/midrib of the leaf eg.neem
PALMATELY COMPOUND-the leaflets are attached at a common
point,at the tip of the petiole eg silk cotton
 PHYLLOTAXY-arrangement of leaves on
the stem
ALTERNATE-single leaf arises at each node in alternate
manner.eg.china rose,mustard,sunflower
OPPOSITE-a pair of leaves arise at each node and lie opposite to each
other eg.calotropis and guava plants
WHORLED-more than two leaves arise at a node and form a whorl
eg.Alstonia
MODIFICATIONS OF LEAF
TENDRILS-eg-peas
SPINES eg-cactus
STORAGE LEAVES eg.onion/garlic

INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS-eg.pitcher plant and venus fly trap

Petiole expand and become green ,synthesise food-Australian acacia
INFLORESCENCE-The arrangement of flowers on
the floral axis
Flower is a modified shoot, the shoot apical
meristem changes to floral meristem

RECEMOSE-the main axis continues to grow ,the flowers are borne

laterally in an acropetal position
CYMOSE-the main axis terminates in a flower,basipetal order
THE FLOWER
THALAMUS/RECEPTACLE-Swollen end of a stalk of pedicel in which
four whorls are arranged successively.
PERIANTH-calyx and corolla are not distint in lilly
BISEXUAL FLOWERS-both androecium and gynoecium
UNISEXUAL FLOWERS-either androecium or gynoecium
SYMMETRY
ACTINOMORPHIC-RADIAL SYMMETRY-Eg mustard,datura.,chilli-a
flower can be divided into similar halves through any radial
planepassing thorugh the centre.
ZYGOMORPHIC-BILATERAL SYMMETRY-pea,gulmohar,bean,cassia.only
in one verticular plane
ASYMMETRIC-canna-cannot be divided into similar halves by any
vertical plane.
TRIMEROUS,PENTAMEROUS,TETRAMEROUS
BRACTEATE ,EBRACTEATE-small leaf like structure at the base of the
pedicel is bract
POSITION OF FLORAL PARTS ON THALAMUS
HYPOGYNOUS-SUPERIOR OVARY-Gynoecium occupies the highest
position while the other parts are situated below it. eg mustard,china
rose, brinjal
PERIGYNOUS-gynoecium is situated in the centre and other parts on
the rim of the thalamus eg-plum,rose,peach.THALAMUS IS DISC
SHAPED OR FLASK SHAPED.
EPIGYNOUS-INFERIOR OVARY..margin of the thalamus grow upward
enclosing the ovary completely and getting fused within it,other parts
above the ovary guava and cucumber and ray florets of sunflower.
PARTS OF A FLOWER
CALYX-outer most whorl, members are called sepals-green leaf like,
protect the flower in the bud stage.
GAMOSEPALOUS-sepals united
POLYSEPALOUS-sepals free
COROLLA
Composed of petals,bright coloured
Corolla-tubular,bell shaped,funnel shaped,wheel shaped
Gamopetalous-petals united
Polypetalous-petals free
AESTIVATION-The mode of arrangement of petals
or sepals in floral bud with respect to the other
members of the whorl.
VALVATE-Calotropis-sepals or petals just touch one another at the
margin
TWISTED-china rose,ladys finger,cotton-one margin of the appendage
overlaps that of the nextone.
IMBRICATE-if the margin of the sepals and petals overlap one another
but not in any particular direction eg cassia and gulmohur
VEXILLARYfive petals-
 ANDROECIUM-Composed of stamens
Stamen-filament and an anther
Anther is bilobed,each lobe has two chambers,the pollen sacs.
Staminode-a sterile stamen
Epipetalous-stamens are attached to petals eg brinjal
Epiphyllous-stamens attached to the perianth eg lilly
Polyandrous-stamens are free
Monoadelphous-stamens united into one bunch or one bundle.eg china
rose
Diadelphous-stamens united into two bundles eg.pea
Polyadelphous-stamens united into more than two bundles eg citrus
gynoecium-made up of one or more carpels
CARPEL-stigma,style and ovary
PLACENTA-each ovary bears one or more ovules attached to a
flattened cushion like placenta.
Apocarpous-free carpels eg.lotus and rose
Syncarpous-when carpels are fused eg.mustard and tomato
PLACENTATION-Arrangement 0f ovules
within the ovary
MARGINAL-Placenta forms a ridge along the ventral suture
of the ovary and ovules are borne on this ridge forming two
rows. Eg pea
AXILE-placenta is axial and the ovules are attached to it in a
multilocular ovary eg.china rose,tomato,lemon
PARIETAL-ovules develop on the inner wall of the ovary or
on peripheral part ,ovary is one chambered but it becomes
two chambered due to the formation of the false septum
eg mustard,argemone
FREE CENTRAL-when the ovules are borne on central axis and
septa are absent eg dianthus and primrose
BASAL-placenta develops at the base of ovary and
a single ovule is attached to it. Eg sunflower,marigold
THE FRUIT-Ripened ovary
Parthenocarpic fruit-fruit formed without fertilization
Pericarp-wall of a fruit,dry or fleshy,
when pericarp is thick and fleshy it is
differentiated into epicarp,mesocarp,endocarp
Epicarp-outer layer
Mesocarp-middle layer
Endocarp-inner layer
Drupe-eg.mango and coconut- In mango,fruit with fleshy edible
mesocarp and inner stony hard endocarp.In coconut,the mesocarp is
fibrous.
 SEED-DICOT SEED
The outermost covering of a seed is the seed coat.
The seed coat has two layers, the outer testa and the inner tegmen.
The hilum is a scar on the seed coat through which the developing seeds were
attached to the fruit.
Above the hilum is a small pore called the micropyle.
Within the seed coat is the embryo, consisting of an embryonal axis and two
cotyledons.
The cotyledons are often fleshy and full of reserve food materials.
At the two ends of the embryonal axis are present the radicle and the
plumule
In some seeds such as castor the endosperm formed as a result of double
fertilisation, is a food storing tissue.
In plants such as bean, gram and pea, the endosperm is not present in mature
seeds and such seeds are called non endospermous
 MONOCOT SEED
Generally, monocotyledonous seeds are endospermic but some as in
orchids are non-endospermic. In the seeds of cereals such as maize the
seed coat is membranous and generally fused with the fruit wall. The
endosperm is bulky and stores food.
The outer covering of endosperm
separates the embryo by a proteinous layer called aleurone
layer.
The embryo is small and situated in a groove at one end of the
endosperm.
It consists of one large and shield shaped cotyledon known as
scutellum
and a short axis with a plumule and a radicle.
The plumule and radicle are enclosed in sheaths which are
called coleoptile and coleorhiza
Respectively.