Floral parts of a typical flower:
1. Calyx (K):
a. It is outermost floral whorl and individual members are known as sepals.
b. Sepals are usually green in colour and perform photosynthesis.
c. If all the sepals are united, the condition is gamosepalous and if they are free, the condition is called as polysepalous.
d. Gamosepalous calyx is found in China rose and polysepalous calyx is found in Brassica.
e. The main function of sepals is to protect inner floral parts in bud condition.
f. Sometimes sepals become brightly coloured (petaloid sepals) and attract insects for pollination, e.g. Mussaenda etc.
g. Sepals modify into hairy structures called as pappus. Such calyx helps in dispersal of fruit, e.g. Tridex.
2. Corolla (C):
a. It is second floral whorl from outer side and variously coloured.
b. The individual member is called as petal.
c. Petals may be sweet to taste, possess scent, odour, aroma or fragrance etc.
d. The condition in which petals are free is said to be polypetalous (e.g. Rose) and if they are fused it is called as gamopetalous (e.g. Datura).
e. The main function of corolla is to attract different agencies for pollination.
3. Perianth (P):
a. Many times, calyx and corolla remain undifferentiated. Such member is known as tepal.
b. The whorl of tepals is known as Perianth.
c. It protects other floral whorls.
d. If all the tepals are free the condition is called as polyphyllous and if they are fused the condition is called as gamophyllous.
e. Sepaloid perianth shows green tepals, while petaloid perianth shows brightly coloured tepals. e.g. Lily, Amaranthus, Celosia, etc.
f. Petaloid tepal helps in pollination and sepaloid tepals can perform photosynthesis.
4. Androecium (A):
a. It is third floral whorl from outer side.
b. Androecium is male reproductive part of a flower.
c. The individual member is known as stamen.
d. If all the stamens are free the condition is polyandrous and synandrous if they are fused.
e. Typical stamen shows three different parts:
i. Anther: It is terminal in position. Anther produces pollen grains. It is usually dithecous (two anther lobes), tetralocular/tetra sporangiate (four pollen sacs) structure, e.g. Datura. In some plants it is monothecous (single lobed), bilocular or bisporangiate structure e.g. Hibiscus.
ii. Filament: It is a stalk of stamen and bears anther at its tip. It raises anther to a proper height for easy dispersal of pollen grains.
iii. Connective: It is in continuation with the filament. It is similar to mid rib and connects two anther lobes together and also with the filament.
5. Gynoecium (G):
a. It is the female reproductive part of a flower and innermost in position.
b. It is also known as pistil.
c. The individual member of gynoecium is known as carpel.
d. The number of carpels may be one to many.
e. If all the carpels are fused the condition is described as syncarpous and if they are free the condition is described as apocarpous.
f. The polycarpellary gynoecium can be bicarpellary (two carpels e.g. Datura), tricarpellary (three carpels e.g. Cucurbita), pentacarpellery (five carpels e.g. Hibiscus) and so on.
g. A typical carpel consists of three parts stigma, style and ovary.
1. Stigma is a terminal part of carpel which receives pollen grains during pollination. It helps in germination of pollen grain. Stigma shows variation in structure to suit the pollinating agent.
2. Style is narrow thread like structure that connects ovary with stigma.
3. Ovary is basal swollen fertile part of the carpel. Ovules are produced in ovary on a soft fertile tissue called placenta.
