LECTURE 18 / 19 - Plant Sex Flashcards
The Female part of the flower is called the ____. Describe its three parts and their functions.
The Pistil
- Stigma = receives sperm (top bulb part)
- Style = Long neck of the pistil
- Ovary = produce eggs
Name the male part of the flower and its sub part and its function.
Stamens
Anther = produce sperm
What is the plant equivalent of an intromittent organ?
Pollen grains (an analogous structures)
What is double fertilization?
When one sperm is used for food another to fertilize and another to lead the the way down to the egg (each pollen contains 3 sperms)
Three types of ways plants can get their pollen to other plants.
anemophily = wind pollination hydrophily = water pollination entomophily = insect pollination
Describe the characteristics of wind dispersed pollen.
Small and lightweight
Examples of wind pollinated plants.
- Ragweed
- Coniferous trees
- Grasses + Sedges
What is the difference between sedges and grasses?
Sedges have edges
What are the benefits and disadvantage of wind pollination? How to over come this disadvantage?
Benefit = not a lot of work.
Disadvantage = Delivery is not guaranteed
Solution = produce lots of pollen
Animals that carry pollen are ____. Name 6 insect pollinators and 2 bird
pollinators.
Couriers
Wasps, Bees, Butterflies, Moths, Flies, Beetles
Hummingbirds and Birds
Why do pollinators help flowers reproduce?
They are bribed with food!
Two types of food that plants produce for pollinators.
Pollen and Nectar
Bees have what on their hind legs?
A pollen basket
How do the one flowered wintergreen plants ensure only bees get their pollen?
Structure is upside down, bee has to vibrate their wings to get pollen (buzz pollination) has a poricidal pore and anther cone (structure) like a pepper shaker.
Where is nectar hidden?
Nectararies
Where are buttercups nectararies hidden?
At the base of each petal in small sleeves
Nectar is hidden in _____ ____ in milkweed
Shallow cups
Why are cups good for pollination?
Lots of animals can get to it.
Cardinal flowers have long spurs to attract ______.
Hummingbirds
Columbine has special nectar leaves with long spurs. Only ____ ____ ___ can reach it.
Long Tongued bees
How do flowers advertise to these pollinators?
With their colour and shape
Different combinations of colours and form attract ___ ____.
Different pollinators
Shape and colour are ___ ____ ____ ____. What do they help the flower do?
Long range visual attractants
Stand out from its environment
Most insects see green as ___ and yellow as ____
Gray
Insect Red
Most insects cant see this colour
Red
Bees prefer the colour ___
Blue
Flies like the colour ____
Yellow
Scents are ___ ____ attractants.
Close range attractants
What is brood site deception? What two plants use this?
Tricking insects into thinking they are a spot for laying eggs so they land on the flower.
Red Trilliums (Rotting Flesh) Wild Ginger (Rotting Fungus)
The evening primrose open and only releases scents at dusk to attract moths. Flowers open based on ______.
Photosensitivity
What are Nectar Guides? Why do plants have them?
Close range guiding patterns that help move insects directly to the nectar or pollen since they want to reproduce quickly.
(can also be ultraviolet patterns we cant see)
Why can’t flowers just pollinate themselves?
Because cross-pollination (outbreeding) is better for larger genetic diversity
Three ways plants avoid self pollination
Self Sterility
Spatial Separation
Temporal Separation
Spatial separation of the sexes on the same plant is called ____. Give an example of a plant.
monoecious
Conifers trees have males on the bottom and females at the top to prevent their own pollen form dropping down and fertilizing the females.
Spatial separation of the sexes on two different plants is called ____. Give an example of a plant.
Dioecious
White Campion
Describe temporal separation.
Separation of the sexes over the lifespan of a plant ie. separated in time.
The term used to describe temporal separation is _____.
Dichogamy
Describe how SPIRAL floral arrangements achieve spatial separation of the sexes.
Have lower flowers open as males.
When the pollen is removed the flowers transform into females.
Females release a stronger attractant to the pollinators.
Pollinators start at the older flowers and never cross pollinate the flower.
What is a temporal sex change called?
Dichogamy
Describe the three forms of Purple Loosestrife.
Three forms depending on the length of the pistils (Long/short/medium). Each flower has two sets of stamens.
Long = Style is longer than the stamens
Medium = In-between the two stamens
Short = Shorter than both stamens.
How does having three forms of Purple Loosestrife help with genetic distribution?
Because each plant has a specific form and can’t pollinate the same form and can’t self pollinate.
If a plant has three forms it is called ____. Two forms ____.
Tristyly
Distyly
If a plant has various forms this is called _____ in general.
Heterostyly
Describe how Pink Lady Slippers get pollinated / exploit pollinators.
Use a deceit and trap.
- has a petal pouch with slit opening bees come in and follow guiding patterns and ladder like hairs to get out at the top.
- lands on the female parts then passes the staminoid (pollen sacs) to get out.
Bees are a new generation and don’t realize the plant dosen’t have pollen.
What is the word for fake pollen that some plants offer.
Pseudopollen
Grass-of Parnassus have fake nectaries what is the term for fake nectaries?
Pseudonectaries
What does Queen Annes Lace have to attract insects even though it has no reward?
Fake insect/decoy to tell insects to come to it.
Describe the Common Milkweeds pollination strategy.
Has small slits on the side on its flowers that the insects legs fall into and saddlebags of pollen with attach to their legs. Pollen bags only come off when it goes into another slit.
Lots of insects die because they cant get their legs out…..
What do White Water-Lilies do to prevent self-pollination.
Will Open as a female (stigma below) and will trap insects there overnight and open as a male the next day and pick up pollen from the now active stamens.
Will become pollinated and then will release pollen.
What does Grass Pink have to lure pollinators. What special physical adaption does this flower have.
Has pseudopollen and fake stamens. Will lure the bee and then with its hinged petal will fall backwards and the bee will hit its sex organs.
will hit the female part first and pick up pollen on its way out.
Laurels have this thing to distribute pollen on the pollinators.
Bashing stamens that release when insects land on their anthers.
Bunchberries are know as the pop flowers because ________.
When an insect lands on them 4 stamens will pop up and hit the insect with pollen.
Twayblades have a ____ with pollen ready to fire.
Cannon
Open as males and then switch to female after.
What does Helleborine release in the air to attract insects.
Wound hormones.
Tricks insects into thinking there are caterpillars there eating the plant.
Bees and Fly Orchids do what to attract pollinators.
Have a female bee/fly form and give males a chance to mate with them.
What do flowers that bloom early have just incase their flowers get damaged.
Have Cleistogamous flowers (flowers that never open) as a plan B or insurance policy and can self-pollinate.
What well known weed self pollinates? Why?
Dandelions
Allows them to dominate and produce lots of plants quickly. And usually need this strong defense in nature however lawns make it too easy for them.
