Flowers

Flowers
A modified reproductive shoots
(A stem with an apical meristem that give rise leaf
primordia)

Has determinate growth

Modified leaf bearing sporophylls

Flower Anatomy and Physiology

Perianth
Androecium
Gynoecium

Flower Sex- refers to the

presence/absence of
male and female parts
Perfect/Bisexuals- both
stamen and carpels
are present
Imperfect/Unisexualspresence of either
stamen or carpels

Two types of imperfect flower:

1. pistillate
female flower
2. staminate
male flower

Plant Sex- refers to the

presence and distribution

of perfect and imperfect
flowers on individuals of a
species.

Hermaphroditic- with only

bisexuals flowers
Monoecious- with only
unisexual flowers (both
staminate and pistillate in
one individual)
Dioecious- plant with one
unisexual flowers but with
staminate and pistillate on
separate individual

Plant Sex Examples

3. Number of flower parts

a. Dicotyledonous
- flower parts in 4s
and 5s or divisible by
4 or 5
ex. magnolia
b. Monocotyledonous
- flower parts are in 3s
or divisible by 3s
Patersonia

ABC MODEL OF FLORAL DEVELOPMENT

-

Explains the genetics behind the

formation of the different whorls
in a flower
it was proposed by George
Haughn and Chris Somerville

ABC MODEL OF FLORAL DEVELOPMENT

KEY CONCEPTS
-A, B and C Genes
-A and C are equally dominant
-B is always expressed in
association with A and C

ABC MODEL OF FLORAL DEVELOPMENT

A= Sepals
A + B = Petals
B + C = Stamen

C = Carpel

ABC MODEL OF FLORAL DEVELOPMENT

WILD TYPE (Arabidopsis thaliana)
Whorl 1: SEPAL

Whorl 2: PETAL

Whorl 3: STAMEN

Whorl 4: CARPEL

A alone

A+B

B+C

C alone

C
B

ABC MODEL OF FLORAL DEVELOPMENT

Mutation in Gene A (Arabidopsis thaliana)
Whorl 1: SEPAL

Whorl 2: PETAL

Whorl 3: STAMEN

Whorl 4: CARPEL

A alone

A+B

B+C

C alone

C
B

ABC MODEL OF FLORAL DEVELOPMENT

Mutation in Gene A (Arabidopsis thaliana)
Whorl
Whorl1:1:CARPEL
SEPAL

Whorl
Whorl2:2:STAMEN
PETAL

Whorl 3: STAMEN

Whorl 4: CARPEL

C alone
alone
A

B+C
A+B

B+C

C alone

C
B

ABC MODEL OF FLORAL DEVELOPMENT

Mutation in Gene B (Arabidopsis thaliana)
Whorl 1: SEPAL

Whorl 2: PETAL

Whorl 3: STAMEN

Whorl 4: CARPEL

A alone

A+B

B+C

C alone

C
B

ABC MODEL OF FLORAL DEVELOPMENT

Mutation in Gene B (Arabidopsis thaliana)
Whorl 1: SEPAL

Whorl 2: PETAL
SEPAL

CARPEL
Whorl 3: STAMEN

Whorl 4: CARPEL

A alone

AA+B
alone

C B+C
alone

C alone

ABC MODEL OF FLORAL DEVELOPMENT

Mutation in Gene C (Arabidopsis thaliana)
Whorl 1: SEPAL

Whorl 2: PETAL

Whorl 3: STAMEN

Whorl 4: CARPEL

A alone

A+B

B+C

C alone

C
B

ABC MODEL OF FLORAL DEVELOPMENT

Mutation in Gene C (Arabidopsis thaliana)
Whorl 1: SEPAL

Whorl 2: PETAL

Whorl
Whorl3:3:STAMEN
PETAL

Whorl
Whorl4:4:CARPEL
SEPAL

A alone

A+B

B+C
A+B

C
A alone

A
B