Flowers

1. Flowers Numerical plan and forms Original by Libby Astrachan Modified by Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Office - July 2004

2. Numerical parts of flowers • Most flowers have a definite number of parts. • The best place to check is the petals or the sepals.

3. Monocots • Monocots have parts in 3’s or multiples of 3’s

4. Dicots • Dicots have parts in 4’s or 5’s or multiples of 4’s or 5’s

5. Forms of Flowers • Flowers are presented on stems in 2 different ways: solitary, or as inflorescences

6. Solitary flowers • Single flower on a stem

7. Inflorescence • Clustered flowers • Different types of inflorescences are based on how the stems are branched

8. Peduncle • The main stem of an inflorescence

9. Pedicels • Branch off the peduncle

10. Inflorescences can be classified based on the order of flowering of the peduncle

11. Determinate Flowers • Begin flowering from the top down (or out)

12. Indeterminate Flowers • Begin flowering from the bottom (the base) and progress upward or inward

13. Inflorescence types

14. Spike • Elongated inflorescence • Central axis • Sessile flowers (no pedicels)

15. Raceme • Elongated inflorescence • Central axis • Simple pedicels of more or less equal length

16. Panicle • Elongated in florescence • Central axis • Branches that are themselves branched

17. Corymb • Flat-topped • Main vertical axis • Pedicels or branches unequal length

18. Umbel • Several branches arising from a common point • Simple umbel has flowers with single pedicels • Compound umbel has secondary branching

19. Spadix • Spike with a thickened, fleshy axis, enveloped by a showy bract • Bract is called a spathe

20. Catkin • Unisexual flowers with petals falling as a unit • Wind pollinated

21. Head or Composite • Rounded of flat-topped cluster of sessile flowers

22. Head or Composite • Many flowers have disc flowers, circled by ray flowers