GEOG/ES&P 330

California Ecosystems

Flowers

• Perianth: parts surrounding/enclosing sexual organs, arranged in whorls

  • Outer

    • Calyx:

      • Sepals

        • Separate: wild rose, Rosa californica – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/8120_3181/4904/0018.jpeg

        • Joint/fused: sticky monkeyflower, Diplacus aurantiacus – https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0512/1758.jpeg

  • Inner

    • Corolla

      • Petals

        • Sympetalous/fused, at least at the base:

          • Fusion can be far back: Salvia leucophylla – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0105/0584.jpeg

          • Fusion can also extend out close to the end of the corolla, with tube, throat, and limb: California fuschia, Epilobium canum – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/1107/0493.jpeg

        • Separate/polypetalous: matilija poppy, Romneya trichocalyx – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0813/0465.jpeg

      • Shape

        • Corolla cylindrical: wax currant, Ribes cereum – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0605/1230.jpeg

        • Corolla funnelform: jimsonweed, Datura wrightii – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0701/0199.jpeg

        • Corolla salverform: scarlet bugler, Penstemon centranthifolius – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0703/0398.jpeg

        • Corolla rotate: desert blue-bells, Phacelia campanularia – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/6212_3041/0636/0085.jpeg

        • Corolla campanulate: bluedicks, Dichelostemma capitatum – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0509/2587.jpeg

        • Corolla urceolate: big berry manzanita, Arctostaphylos glauca – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/1208/2783.jpeg

      • Symmetry

        • Regular or actinomorphic flower/radial symmetry, with all parts in the corolla whorl identical: California poppy, Eschscholzia californica – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/1102/1578.jpeg

        • Irregular or zygomorphic flower/bilateral symmetry only, because parts within the corolla whorl are of different sizes or shapes

          • Two-lipped: showy penstemon, Penstemon spectabilis – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0611/0691.jpeg

          • Papilionaceous, with a keel below, wings to each side, and a banner on top: arroyo lupine, Lupinus succulentus – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/1208/2775.jpeg

• The X-rated bits

  • Pistils: female parts, as seen in California fuschia, Epilobium canum – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/1107/0494.jpeg

    • May be exserted (protruding past the corolla), as in white sage, Salvia apiana – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/1011/2169.jpeg

    • Or included (not sticking past the corolla), as in coastal prickly pear, Opuntia littoralis – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/1202/0211.jpeg

    • Divisions:

      • Stigma: opening/landing pad for pollen and pollinators

      • Style: stalk under the stigma, leading pollen to:

      • Ovary: sort of a combination of mammalian ovaries and uterus

        • Ovaries contain locules: one, two, three, or many

        • If there are more than one locule, they'll be separated by septa or walls

        • Locules contain placentæ, where the ovules attach

        • Ovules are the structures that develop into seeds once fertilized

        • The ovary's relative position:

          • Ovary superior: ovary is attached above the perianth, which is hypogynous

          • Ovary inferior: ovary is attached under the perianth, which is epigynous

  • Stamens: male parts, as in leopard lily, Lilium pardalinum – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0804/0132.jpeg

    • May be exerted, as in purple sage, Salvia leucophylla – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/8120_3181/4564/0045.jpeg

    • Or included, as in sticky monkeyflower, Diplacus aurantiacus – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/8120_3181/4567/0120.jpeg

    • Anther: the pollen-bearing part. Pollen, on lighting on a stigma, produces a pollen tube that grows down the style, and allows the transfer of two sperm cells to an ovule for fertilization and production of a seed with the full diploid chromosome number to create a new plant

    • Filament: the thread-like stalk supporting an anther

  • Gender in flowers and plants

    • Flowers

      • Perfect flower: fully loaded with both types of sexual organs/hermaphroditic/bisexual. A perfect flower has at least one pistil and at least one stamen and can both sire and dam to a new plant

      • Imperfect flower: unisexual

        • Pistillate/carpellate: a flower with only female parts, as in this coastal live oak, Quercus agrifolia, catkin – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0304/0764.jpeg

        • Staminate: a flower with only male parts, as in this coastal live oak, Quercus agrifolia, catkin – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/128x192/0000_0000/0304/0765.jpeg

    • Plants

      • Androgenous/bisexual plants have strictly perfect (bisexual) flowers: This is most common among the species we'll meet

      • Monoecious species have imperfect flowers, but both genders (pistillate and staminate) are found on the same individual, such as oaks and alders, as seen in these immature catkins for white alder, Alnus rhombifolia – http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/plants/Betulaceae/Alnus%20rhombifolia/Alnus%20rhombifolia4.jpg

      • Dioecious species have imperfect flowers, but each individual has strictly pistillate (female) flowers or strictly staminate (male) flowers, so that we can describe individual plants as male or female. An example locally is Baccharis pilularis or coyotebrush:

        • Female plant – https://sbwildflowers.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/baccharis-pilularis-female-pistillate.jpeg

        • Male plant – https://sbwildflowers.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/baccharis-pilularis-male-staminate.jpeg

      • Polygamous species have both perfect and imperfect flowers, the latter usually being staminate flowers. One of the exotic, invasive peppertree species, Schinus polygamus, is this way – https://pfaf.org/Admin/PlantImages/AmyrisPolygama.jpg

        (this species may be in the process orf reclassification as Schinus polygama)!

Document maintained by Dr. Rodrigue
First placed on web: 09/14/15
Last revision: 09/20/21