NEET Exam > NEET Notes > Short Notes > Short Notes Morphology of Flowering Plants - Short Notes for NEET
Short Notes Morphology of Flowering Plants - Short Notes for NEET
Root Modifications
| Type | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Tap Root Modifications | ||
| Fusiform | Storage | Radish |
| Conical | Storage | Carrot |
| Napiform | Storage | Turnip, Beet |
| Adventitious Root Modifications | ||
| Tuberous | Storage | Sweet potato |
| Fasciculated | Storage | Asparagus, Dahlia |
| Prop roots | Support | Banyan, Maize |
| Stilt roots | Support | Sugarcane, Maize |
| Climbing roots | Climbing | Betel, Black pepper |
| Epiphytic/Aerial roots | Absorption of moisture | Orchids |
| Pneumatophores | Respiration | Rhizophora (mangroves) |
| Haustoria | Parasitic | Cuscuta |
Stem Modifications
| Type | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Underground Modifications | ||
| Rhizome | Storage, perennation | Ginger, Turmeric |
| Corm | Storage | Colocasia, Crocus |
| Tuber | Storage | Potato |
| Bulb | Storage | Onion, Garlic |
| Subaerial Modifications | ||
| Runner | Vegetative propagation | Grass, Oxalis |
| Stolon | Vegetative propagation | Mint, Jasmine |
| Sucker | Vegetative propagation | Chrysanthemum, Pineapple |
| Offset | Vegetative propagation | Water hyacinth, Pistia |
| Aerial Modifications | ||
| Tendril | Climbing | Cucumber, Watermelon |
| Thorn | Protection | Citrus, Bougainvillea |
| Phylloclade | Photosynthesis, storage | Opuntia, Casuarina |
| Cladode | Photosynthesis | Asparagus |
| Bulbil | Vegetative propagation | Agave, Dioscorea |
Leaf Modifications
- Tendrils: For climbing (Pea, Lathyrus)
- Spines: For protection, reduce transpiration (Cactus, Opuntia)
- Scale leaves: Protection of buds (Onion, Ginger)
- Phyllode: Petiole becomes leaf-like (Acacia)
- Pitcher: Insectivorous (Nepenthes)
- Bladder: Insectivorous (Utricularia)
- Leaf base modification: Storage (Garlic, Onion)
Inflorescence Types
| Racemose (Indefinite) | Cymose (Definite) |
|---|---|
| Main axis continues to grow | Main axis terminates in a flower |
| Flowers in acropetal succession | Flowers in basipetal succession |
| Types: | Types: |
| • Raceme: Pedicel present (Mustard) • Spike: No pedicel (Achyranthes) • Catkin: Pendulous spike (Mulberry) • Spadix: Fleshy axis (Banana) • Corymb: Flat topped (Candytuft) • Umbel: Axis reduced (Coriander) • Capitulum: Head-like (Sunflower) | • Monochasial: One branch (Saraca) • Dichasial: Two branches (Jasmine) • Polychasial: Many branches (Nerium) • Helicoid: Coiled (Heliotropium) • Scorpioid: Zigzag (Solanum) |
Flower Parts
- Calyx: Sepals (protective in bud stage)
- Corolla: Petals (attract pollinators)
- Androecium: Male reproductive part (stamens = filament + anther)
- Gynoecium: Female reproductive part (carpel = stigma + style + ovary)
- Thalamus: Floral axis to which floral parts are attached
- Pedicel: Stalk of flower
Fruit Types
| Type | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Fruits | From single ovary | |
| Fleshy: Berry | Entire pericarp fleshy | Tomato, Grape |
| Fleshy: Drupe | Stony endocarp | Mango, Coconut |
| Fleshy: Pome | Thalamus edible | Apple |
| Dry: Legume | Dehiscent along 2 sutures | Pea |
| Dry: Capsule | Multilocular, many seeds | Cotton |
| Dry: Caryopsis | Seed coat fused with pericarp | Wheat |
| Aggregate Fruits | From multiple ovaries of single flower | Strawberry |
| Composite/Multiple Fruits | From entire inflorescence | Pineapple, Jackfruit |
Seed Structure
- Dicot seed: 2 cotyledons, non-endospermic (e.g., Pea, Gram)
- Monocot seed: 1 cotyledon (scutellum), endospermic (e.g., Maize, Wheat)
- Seed coat: Testa (outer) + Tegmen (inner)
- Hilum: Scar on seed where funicle attached
- Micropyle: Small pore for water absorption
- Endosperm: Food storage tissue (present in monocots, absent in most dicots)
Floral Families
1. Malvaceae (Cotton/Mallow Family)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Tropical and subtropical |
| Habit | Herbs, shrubs, trees |
| Root | Tap root system, branched |
| Stem | Erect, branched, herbaceous |
| Leaves | Alternate, simple, petiolate, stipulate, palmately veined |
| Inflorescence | Solitary axillary or cymose |
| Flower | Bracteate, pedicellate, bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous |
| Calyx | 5 sepals, gamosepalous, valvate, epicalyx present |
| Corolla | 5 petals, polypetalous, twisted aestivation |
| Androecium | ∞ stamens, monadelphous (filaments united), monothecous anthers |
| Gynoecium | 5-∞ carpels, syncarpous, multilocular, axile placentation |
| Fruit | Capsule or schizocarp |
| Examples | Hibiscus (China rose), Gossypium (Cotton), Abelmoschus (Okra/Bhindi) |
| Economic Importance | Cotton fiber, vegetables, ornamental plants |
| Floral Formula | Br, ⚥, ⊕, K(5), C5, A(∞), G(5) |
2. Cruciferae/Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Temperate regions |
| Habit | Mostly herbs |
| Root | Tap root system |
| Stem | Erect, herbaceous, branched |
| Leaves | Alternate, simple, exstipulate, reticulate venation |
| Inflorescence | Racemose (raceme or corymb) |
| Flower | Ebracteate, pedicellate, bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous |
| Calyx | 4 sepals in 2 whorls, polysepalous |
| Corolla | 4 petals, polypetalous, cruciform (cross-shaped), valvate |
| Androecium | 6 stamens, tetradynamous (2 short + 4 long), polyandrous |
| Gynoecium | 2 carpels, syncarpous, bicarpellary, bilocular with false septum (replum), parietal placentation |
| Fruit | Siliqua (long) or Silicula (short) |
| Examples | Brassica (Mustard, Cabbage, Cauliflower), Raphanus (Radish) |
| Economic Importance | Vegetables, oilseeds, condiments |
| Floral Formula | Ebr, ⚥, ⊕, K2+2, C4, A2+4, G(2) |
3. Leguminosae/Fabaceae (Pea/Legume Family)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Cosmopolitan |
| Habit | Herbs, shrubs, trees |
| Root | Tap root with root nodules (Rhizobium for nitrogen fixation) |
| Stem | Erect or climber, herbaceous or woody |
| Leaves | Alternate, compound (pinnate or palmate), stipulate, reticulate venation, pulvinus at base |
| Inflorescence | Racemose |
| Flower | Bracteate, pedicellate, bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous/perigynous |
| Calyx | 5 sepals, gamosepalous, valvate/imbricate |
| Corolla | 5 petals, polypetalous, papilionaceous (butterfly-shaped): 1 standard (vexillum), 2 wings (alae), 2 keels (carina), vexillary/descending imbricate aestivation |
| Androecium | 10 stamens, diadelphous (9+1) or monadelphous |
| Gynoecium | Monocarpellary, unilocular, marginal placentation |
| Fruit | Legume/Pod |
| Examples | Pisum (Pea), Cicer (Chickpea), Arachis (Groundnut), Sesbania |
| Economic Importance | Pulses (protein), nitrogen fixation, fodder, wood, ornamentals |
| Floral Formula | Br, ⚥, %, K(5), C1+2+(2), A(9)+1 or A(10), G1 |
4. Compositae/Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Cosmopolitan, largest family of dicots |
| Habit | Mostly herbs |
| Root | Tap root, branched |
| Stem | Erect, herbaceous |
| Leaves | Alternate or opposite, simple or compound, exstipulate |
| Inflorescence | Capitulum (head) on flattened receptacle surrounded by involucre of bracts |
| Flower Types | • Ray florets: Zygomorphic, ligulate, peripheral, pistillate • Disc florets: Actinomorphic, tubular, central, bisexual |
| Flower | Sessile, epigynous |
| Calyx | Modified into pappus (hairy, scaly structures for dispersal) |
| Corolla | 5 petals, gamopetalous, valvate |
| Androecium | 5 stamens, syngenesious (anthers united, filaments free) |
| Gynoecium | Bicarpellary, syncarpous, inferior ovary, unilocular, basal placentation |
| Fruit | Cypsela (achene with persistent pappus) |
| Examples | Helianthus (Sunflower), Tagetes (Marigold), Dahlia |
| Economic Importance | Oilseeds, vegetables, ornamentals, medicinal |
| Floral Formula (Disc floret) | Br, ⚥, ⊕, K(0) or pappus, C(5), A(5), G(2) |
5. Graminae/Poaceae (Grass Family)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Cosmopolitan, largest monocot family |
| Habit | Herbs (bamboo can be woody) |
| Root | Fibrous root system |
| Stem | Hollow culm with solid nodes, erect or creeping |
| Leaves | Alternate, simple, long linear with parallel venation, ligule at junction of leaf sheath and lamina |
| Inflorescence | Spike of spikelets or panicle |
| Spikelet | 1 or more florets, enclosed by 2 glumes (bracts) |
| Flower | Bracteate (lemma and palea), bisexual/unisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous |
| Perianth | Reduced to 2-3 lodicules (scales) |
| Androecium | Typically 3 stamens (6 in rice), versatile anthers |
| Gynoecium | Monocarpellary, unilocular, single ovule, basal placentation, 2 feathery stigmas |
| Fruit | Caryopsis (grain) |
| Examples | Oryza (Rice), Triticum (Wheat), Zea (Maize), Saccharum (Sugarcane), Bambusa (Bamboo) |
| Economic Importance | Cereals (food grains), sugarcane, fodder, bamboo (construction), lawns |
| Floral Formula | Br, ⚥, %, P2, A3, G(1) |
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FAQs on Short Notes Morphology of Flowering Plants - Short Notes for NEET
| 1. What are the main parts of a flower and their functions? |  |
Ans. The main parts of a flower include the sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals protect the flower bud, petals attract pollinators with their colour and fragrance, stamens are the male reproductive structures that produce pollen, and carpels are the female reproductive structures that contain ovules and develop into fruit after fertilisation.
| 2. How do the different types of inflorescence vary in flowering plants? | |
Ans. Inflorescence refers to the arrangement of flowers on a plant. Types include racemose, where flowers are borne on a central stem in a branching fashion; cymose, where the main axis grows limitedly and flowers bloom from the top; and compound inflorescences, which consist of clusters of flowers. These variations allow for efficient pollination and seed dispersal strategies.
| 3. What is the significance of flower symmetry in morphology? | |
Ans. Flower symmetry, or floral symmetry, can be radial (actinomorphic) or bilateral (zygomorphic). Radial symmetry allows for equal access to pollinators from various angles, while bilateral symmetry often encourages specific pollinator interactions, enhancing reproductive success. This differentiation plays a crucial role in a plant's evolutionary adaptations.
| 4. How do flowering plants reproduce? | |
Ans. Flowering plants reproduce mainly through sexual reproduction involving pollination. Pollination occurs when pollen from the anthers (male part) reaches the stigma (female part) of a flower. This can happen through various agents such as wind, water, or animals. After successful pollination, fertilisation occurs, leading to the development of seeds within the ovary.
| 5. What role do petals play in attracting pollinators? | |
Ans. Petals are often brightly coloured and can have specific patterns that serve to attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds. Their colour and scent are adaptations to enhance visibility and appeal to these organisms, which are crucial for the transfer of pollen and subsequent fertilisation, thereby ensuring the continuation of the species.
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