Flowers and Their Evolution

1. Flowers and Their Evolution Spring 2012

2. Flower = a short, determinate shoot bearing highly modified leaves, some of which are fertile (i.e., bearing either microsporangia or megasporangia), with the microsporangia in stamens and the megasporangiain carpels.

3. Flower • REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURE – Evolutionary requirement to reproduce by sexual means. Pollen transfer and seed dispersal needed. • MODIFIED FOLIAR APPENDAGES – all function together to form the reproductive organ known as the FLOWER. • MODIFICATIONS OF LEAVES – All floral organs are modified LEAVES. Four terminal WHORLS of modified leaves: - Two outermost whorls (sepals, petals) are sterile (non- meiotic tissues) - Two innermost whorls (sporophylls) are “fertile” with tissues capable of undergoing meiosis • SPOROPHYLLS – those modified leaves with meiotic capacity. - Microsporophylls – stamens – produce pollen in anthers - Megasporophylls – carpels – produce eggs in ovules

4. Fig. 6.2 from Simpson

5. Floral Whorls • Attached to RECEPTACLE • Sepals (collectively the Calyx) • Petals (collectively the Corolla) • Stamens (anthers + filaments) Androecium (andros = male; -oecium = house) • “Pistil” – carpel(s) [fused or not] Gynoecium (gynos = female; -oecium = house)

6. Floral Parts: Major whorls pistil (1-many carpels) - gynoecium stamens - androecium petals - corolla sepals - calyx receptacle

7. stamen pistil Sepals and petals are relatively leaf-like. sepal young leaves flower bud petal

8. “ABC” Model of Floral development Fig. 6.5 from Simpson

9. Floral Anatomy

10. Evolution of the Androecium • DERIVED FROM MODIFIED LEAVES - Microsporangia (meiosis  microspores  pollen grains) on lamina originally • INCREASING LEVELS OF REDUCTION - Lamina becomes filament - Sporangial tissue becomes anther wall - Provides for release of pollen • CAN BE IN A SINGLE WHORL OR MULTIPLE WHORLS - Tremendous variation in flowering plants. - Often associated with specific type of pollinator.

11. Stamen evolution laminar stamens

12. Fig. 9.26 Fig. 9.25

13. Floral Anatomy

14. Evolution of the Carpel • MODIFICATION OF MEGASPOROPHYLL - Evolution of megasporophyll structure traced back to seed ferns – 200 to 300 mybp • LEAF WITH MARGINAL MEIOTIC ZONES FOLDS - Ovules located at margins of sporophylls. - Lamina curves inward (toward the floral axis - adaxially) - Carpel is formed by folding – conduplicate - Margins fuse, enclosing ovules - Carpel(s) = gynoecium • FUSION OF CARPELS - Unfused (separate) carpels - apocarpous - Fused (united) carpels - syncarpous • POSITION OF THE GYNOECIUM relative to other floral whorls is important in describing floral structures. • PLACEMENT OF OVULES (placentation) within the gynoecium is also important; shows evolutionary origins of the carpel.

15. The Ovule = integumented megasporangium sporangium female gametophyte (derived from a single spore) integuments micropyle

16. Carpel evolution (Ovules) (megasporophyll)

17. Folding of megasporophyll to form simple carpel Folding of one megasporophyll S = suture; formed by fusion of leaf margins; receptive to pollen (Receptacle located below)

18. Carpel evolution stigma stigmatic crest

19. Fig. 9.30 from Simpson

20. Simple Carpel – One Pistil

21. Apocarpy – Separate Carpels = 5 pistils in this example

22. Apocarpous gynoecium – Ranunculus sp. with many pistils elongated receptacle

23. Liriodendron Magnolia

24. Fig. 9.31 from Simpson

25. Syncarpousgynoecium – One pistil, 3 carpels

26. Various gynoecia – Apocarpousvs.Syncarpous (Hint: stigma number usually = carpel number)

27. Syncarpy – How many carpels? Locules?

28. Adnation: Fusion of different parts Stamens adnate to petals

29. Connation: Fusion of similar parts Fusion of filaments into a staminal tube

30. Ovary position relative to other parts The hypanthium requires both connation and adnation. Fig. 9.32 from Simpson

31. Ovary superior Parts hypogynous Citrus sp.

32. Ovary superior, parts perigynous (floral cup or tube = hypanthium present) Rosa sp.

33. Ovary inferior, parts epiperigynous (hypanthium present) Fuchsia sp.

34. Ovary inferior, parts epigynous Vaccinium sp.

35. Ovules and Placentation • OVULES CONTAIN THE MEGAGAMETOPHYTE - Provides for fertilization of egg cell in megagametophyte and protection during development. - Ovule matures into the SEED. • ATTACHMENT OF THE OVULES VIA FUNICULUS - Analogous to the mammalian “umbilical cord” - Point of attachment on inner ovary wall is the PLACENTA - Can vary depending on type of flower. • PLACENTATION IS OFTEN DIAGNOSTIC - Plant families typically have one placentation type. - Often best seen with cross section through ovary. • PLACENTATION REFLECTS EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT - Fusion of carpels, presence of vascular bundles, etc. can support hypotheses about evolution of particular flower structures.

36. Fig. 9.33 from Simpson

37. Fig. 9.33, Part A only

38. Placentation Axile Parietal

39. Floral Symmetry Radial Bilateral Actinomorphic Zygomorphic

40. Interpretation of Floral Structures • OBSERVE STRUCTURES IN EACH WHORL - How many parts are present in the calyx? Corolla? - Describe the androecium, then the gynoecium. • DETERMINE CONDITION OF THE FLOWER - Hypogynous? Perigynous? Epigynous? • GYNOECIUM - Apocarpous? Syncarpous? If so, how many carpels? - Placentation? Position of stigma relative to other parts. • ADNATION or CONNATION? - Fusion of floral parts can sometimes be diagnostic. • UNUSUAL OR REMARKABLE FLORAL STRUCTURES? - Specializations for pollination?