Lecture 5: Evolution and coadaptation of flowers

Question 1

What are the 6 major variations in flower structure

Answer 1

1. ) carpel organisation
2. ) shape of receoptacle
3. ) insertion of flower parts
4. ) free or fused flower parts
5. ) flower symmetry
6. ) flowers may lack specific parts

Question 2

What does it mean by carpel organisation

Answer 2

• one or many carpels
• fused or free carpels
• fused carpels divided into locules that show different patterns of placentation
• fused carpels are also called the pistil

Question 3

give an example of parietal

Answer 3

melon

Question 4

give an example of axile

Answer 4

orange, kiwifruit

Question 5

give an example of free placentation

Answer 5

primula dianthus

Question 6

what does it mean by shape receptacle

Answer 6

• elongated and floral parts spirally arranged (considered to be the more primitive type)
• compressed and disk shaped

Question 7

What does it mean by insertion of flower parts

Answer 7

hypogynous
perigynous
epigynous

Question 8

What does hypogynous mean?

Answer 8

flat receptacle and superior ovary

Question 9

What does perigynous mean?

Answer 9

cup-shaped receptacle not fused to ovary

Question 10

What does epigynous mean?

Answer 10

cup-shaped receptacle fused to ovary which is inferior

Question 11

Where are the flower parts likely to be fused to

Answer 11

• either with each other (petal with petal to form a tube)

- or with different floral parts (petals with anther filaments)

Question 12

What are the types of flower symmetry

Answer 12

radial symmetry (buttercup); odd
bilateral (puriri); even

Question 13

When is a flower deemed imperfect

Answer 13

• if they lack either stamens or carpel

Question 14

What do you call a plant with both male and female flowers on the same plant

Answer 14

monoecious

Question 15

What does dioecious mean

Answer 15

male and female flowers on separate plants

Question 16

Why are flowers so variable

Answer 16

• due to adaptations to pollination
• two important points about pollination:
• • need to transfer pollen from stamens to stigma, without this no seeds will be produced
• • need to exclude ‘foreign’ pollen from other species

Question 17

What are the two main types of pollination

Answer 17

biotic

abiotic

Question 18

What does biotic mean?

Answer 18

• flower provides attractant (usually food) and in return gets pollen transfer. This is an incentive for the animal to visit the flower
• nectar production, sticky pollen, sticky stigma
• flowers may also practice deception

Question 19

What are examples of animal mediated pollination (abiotic)

Answer 19

examples of animal mediated pollination exhibit co-evolution of flower and pollinator

Question 20

What do beetles pollinate?

Answer 20

eucalyptus

Question 21

Which flowers have adaptations to wind pollination

Answer 21

• usually small, inconspicuous flowers
• not brightly colored as no need to attract insects
• large anthers that produce copious, smooth, dry pollen
• large, often feathery or sticky stigmas to catch pollen

Question 22

Why do flowers vary?

Answer 22

• 6 main ways that flowers vary
• flower variation driven by evolution to maximize population
• sometimes this involves co-evolution with pollinators

Question 23

How are bees attracted to flowers?

Answer 23

UV light

Question 24

How have moths and flowers co-evolve

Answer 24

tube shaped