Botany: Floral and Reproductive Parts, Tour of Floral Diversity

Question 1

What are the four primary organs of a flower?

Answer 1

sepal, petal, stamen, and pistil

Question 2

sepal

Answer 2

the outermost, or lowermost segment of a flower

Question 3

what is the role of the sepal?

Answer 3

1) sepals have many roles, depending on the flower. they may protect the flower bud or open the flower.
2) sometimes the stamens hang on or persist to protect developing fruit

Question 4

calyx

Answer 4

all the sepals in the flower

Question 5

petal

Answer 5

the primary organ of the flower

Question 6

what is the role of the petal

Answer 6

1) attracts pollinators
2) serves as a landing pad for pollinators
3) can form a tube to hold nectar

Question 7

what happens if a plant is wind pollinated?

Answer 7

it may lack petals and sepals because the organs arent necessary for attracting pollinators

Question 8

corolla

Answer 8

all the petals in a flower, collectively

Question 9

pistil

Answer 9

female reproductive organ. if a flower is pollinated and fertilized, part of the pistil (ovary) becomes the fruit

Question 10

how many pistils do flowers typically have?

Answer 10

flowers can have one pistil or many separate little pistils congregated in the center (like rosaceae [rose] + ranunculaceae [buttercup])

Question 11

What are the two primary organs of the stamen

Answer 11

filament and anther

Question 12

filament

Answer 12

the stalk of the stamen that holds up the anther

Question 13

anther

Answer 13

the organ on the tip of the stamen produces and releases pollen

Question 14

What are the three primary organs of the pistil?

Answer 14

ovary, style, and stigma

Question 15

ovary

Answer 15

the enlarged basal part of the pistil that houses immature seeds (ovules)

Question 16

ovules

Answer 16

immature seeds

Question 17

what is the purpose of the ovary

Answer 17

if the flower is fertilized, the ovary matures into the fruit (seed-bearing part of the plant)

Question 18

the ovary of a flower is analogous with…

Answer 18

the womb or uterus of a female mammal

Question 19

style

Answer 19

the stalk of the pistil that connects the ovary and the stigma. there can be one or more styles per pistil

Question 20

stigma

Answer 20

the tip of the stigma that catches pollen

Question 21

besides making flowers, what are some other ways that plants reproduce?

Answer 21

they can spread by runners, grow bulbs, or make new plants from severed twigs.

Question 22

why does a plant bother expending so much energy into making a flower?

Answer 22

flowers give plants the ability to be fertilized by over plants in the same species. this creates more genetic diversity, which is deeply strengthening to any species.

Question 23

Why is diversity beneficial in the long-term success of a species?

Answer 23

diversity creates resiliences for the entire group. diversity allows for flexibility in responding to new stresses or changes in the environment.

Question 24

What’s the difference between pollination and fertilization?

Answer 24

Fertilization initiates chromosomal exchange while pollination does not.

Question 25

pollination

Answer 25

the transfer of pollen from one flower’s stamens to another flower’s stigma

Question 26

fertilization

Answer 26

fertilization is the genetic exchange between plants that takes place in the ovary–this is where chromosomal exchange occurs.

Question 27

Where does pollination take place?

Answer 27

pollination takes place on the stigma

Question 28

inflorescence

Answer 28

inflorescence is the flowering part of a plant. can consist of a single flower or in clusters

Question 29

What’s the difference between a regular and irregular flower?

Answer 29

if you fold an irregular flower vertically, the right and left sides will be mirror
images; but if you fold an irregular flower horizontally, the top and bottom halves of the flower will be different.

Question 30

regular flower

Answer 30

a regular flower is radially symmetrical. All the petals or sepals are similar in size and appearance. Lilies (Lilium
spp.), blackberry (Rubus spp.) and raspberry flowers (Rubus spp.) are examples of regular flowers.

Question 31

irregular flower

Answer 31

an irregular
flower is bilaterally symmetrical.
Orchids (Orchidaceae), pansies (Viola spp.), peas (Pisum sativum) and snapdragons (Antirrhinum spp.) are
examples of irregular flowers.

Question 32

What’s the difference between a perfect and imperfect flower?

Answer 32

imperfect flower (not plant) has either male or female parts, but not both. perfect flower has both.

Question 33

imperfect flower

Answer 33

a flower that has either male or female reproductive parts, but not both. Also called unisexual.

Question 34

pistillate

Answer 34

a female flower possessing a functioning pistil, even multiple pistils but no stamen; also called a carpellate flower

Question 35

carpellate

Answer 35

a female flower possessing a functioning pistil, even multiple pistils but no stamen; also called a pistillate flower

Question 36

two other names for female flower

Answer 36

pistillate and carpellate, possessing functioning pistils, even multiple pistils, but no stamen

Question 37

staminate

Answer 37

a male flower, possessing only functioning stamens, no pistils

Question 38

a male flower

Answer 38

also called a staminate, possessing only functioning stamens, no pistils

Question 39

What are the two arrangements of imperfect flowers?

Answer 39

monoecious and dioecious

Question 40

monoecious

Answer 40

monoecious plants (not flowers) have the same male and female flowers on the same plant.

Question 41

dioecious

Answer 41

dioecious plants have their sexed flowers on different plants

Question 42

examples of monoecious plants

Answer 42

Corn (Zea mays, Poaceae)
Squash (Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbitaceae) 
Birch (Betula, Betulaceae)
Hazelnut (Corylus, Betulaceae)
Oak (Quercus, Fagaceae)

Question 43

examples of dioecious plants

Answer 43

Holly (Ilex spp., Aquifoliaceae)
Bayberry (Myrica, Myricaceae)
Willow (Salix, Salicaceae)
Cannabis (Cannabis, spp. Cannabaceae)
Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica, Uticaceae)