CHAPTER 1V

Identification
• It is the determination of the correct name of
plants as being similar or different from an
already known plant.
• There are three basic information needed to
enable a person to identify an unknown plant
species.
 These are:
• Pertinent taxa, from which you will compare
the unidentified specimen
• Useful differentiating characters of these taxa,
to be able to find out similarities and
differences between the pertinent taxa and
the unidentified specimen
• The taxon or characters themselves.
• Identification is necessary to determine the
group to which a certain species belong
usually by name so that information can be
retrieved from a classification or descriptive
system and to provide a system of
identification for ease, certainty and accuracy.
 Methods of Identification
• Experts determination- this is the easiest and
quickest method of identification but now a
days this method is becoming more and more
expensive.
• Scientifically speaking, experts are people who
study taxonomy and working on a particular
plant group. However, some people who by
the nature of their jobs have been exposed to
a lot of plant species in the field and therefore
familiar to those species they often encounter.
 Use of keys
• A key is an analytical device
consisting a series of constructing
statements or proportions that lead
to the identity of the species.
• A key to the identification of the taxa
of a group under study is one of the
most useful and most used products
of taxonomy
• The key, along with the descriptions of
the taxa, forms the principal interface
between taxonomists and the outside
world. However, a key in its usual form,
the dichotomous printed key may over
look useful characters , or he may have
choose to omit some characters in favor
of the one most useful character at each
dichotomy.
• More often, the user of a
dichotomous key may have a
specimen that does not possess the
organ discussed in the key, either
because insufficient collection or
collection at a different phenological
stage
• Another difficulty that the user may
experience is the considerable time spent in
familiarizing himself with the terminology and
philosophy of the writer of the key. Truly
dichotomous characters are rarely discovered
and overlapping character states are common.
• To overcome these problems of a lot
computer software's for species identification
were developed
• Computer identification softwares were
designated primarily for easy use by people
rather than convenience in computer
programming and is versatile enough to
replace the written description ad the primary
means of recording data.
• Consequently, it can be used as a shorthand
method of recording data even if computer
processing of the data is not envisaged.
• Among the most commonly used are DELTA (
Description Language for Taxonomy), LUCID
and LINNEAUS . These software's are readily
available and down load in the net.
 Key construction

• Plants may be identified by means of a device

called a key. A key provides a series of choices
of character states. The plants is identified by
comparing it with this series of choices until
all possibilities but one are eliminated and this
choice should indicate the name of the plant.
Over the years such keys have been prepared
for the identification of the known plants of
certain areas of the world.
• A key, for plant identification purposes is a
device whereby combinations of characters
not present in the unknown plant (or group of
plants) at hand are eliminated and by means
of those characters that are present one
“comes out” to a final answer. The key in the
most modern taxonomic works are called
dichotomous keys. In these, contrasting
conditions are combined in paired couplets;
with each of the two opposing situation in the
couplet termed lead.
 Key to the Species of Randia-
Rubiaceae
• A Plant thorny
• B. Leaves blunt, glaucous (wavy) beneath;
flowers 2.5-3.0 cm wide, petals 7-
10……………………….…R. tomentosa
• BB. Leaves pointed, not glaucous beneath;
flower 1.0-1.5 cm wide, petals 5-
6………………………R. spinosa
 A.A. Plant not thorny
C. Leaves and twigs pubescent
(hairy)……………………………………………………..R.
anisophylla
C.C. Leaves and twigs glabrous
(smooth)…………………………………………………
D. Corolla (petals) tube 0.5-0.8 cm long;
fruit small 0.8cm wide…..R. densiflora
D.D. Corolla tube 2.5-3.7 cm long; fruit
large 7.5 cm wide…………….R. exaltata
• The first couplet is composed of two leads
preceded by the letter combination A and A.A.
Some authors preteen to designate couplets
with numbers, using here for example the
number 1 in place for A and another number 1
in place of A.A or sometimes with
combinations of numbers and letters such as
1a for A and 1b for A.A. In the example above
there is a total of four couplets .
The following are important considerations
in constructing a key
1. Insure that the key is always strictly
dichotomous
2. Select characters that are in
opposition to one another so that
the two leads of each couplet
comprise two contradictory
propositions.
3. Phrase leads to read as positive
statements, especially the initial lead
of the couplet.
4. The initial words or each lead of the
couplet should identical
5. Two consecutive couplets should not give
with the same words.
6. Avoid the use of overlapping, limits, in
variations or generalities in opposing leads of
the couplets.
7. Use macroscopic morphological characters as
far as possible in separations of groups.
• Most keys use obvious characters of
combinations of characters, to aid in there
rapid and accurate identification of the plant
without any special regard to the botanical
significance of the character or to the relative
position of the plants in the key. Such keys are
termed artificial keys.
• A key in which the various taxa are separated
out in phylogenetic sequence key by use of
more basic botanical characters, which are
often more difficult to observe than the
superficial characters of artificial keys, it is
called synoptic key. The best characters to use
in a key are those which are not only readily
observable but which are also the most
constant.
• Regardless of the key used or the case with
which a plant seems to key out, the
identification should always be checked by
careful reference to a more complete
description of the plant and, if necessary, by
comparison with similar and presumably
correctly identified, specimen in the
herbarium.
 Bracketed Key
1.Plant woody…………………………………….2
1.Plant herbaceous…….………………………4
2. Leaves needle like………………………..Pinus
2. Leaves broad, not needle like…………3
3. Tree, leaves simple.. .Quercus or Lithocarpus
3. Shrub or vines, leaves pinnately compound..Rosa
4. Flowers large, radially symmetrical……… Petunia
4. Flowers small, bilaterally symmetrical.Spiranthes
 Indented Key
1.Plant woody……………………………………..2
2. Leaves needle like, evergreen………………Pinus
2. Leaves broad, usually deciduous……………….3
3. Tree; leaves simple……………………..Quercus
3. Shrub or vine; leaves pinnately
compound………………………………….Rosa
1. Plant Herbaceous…………………………………….4
4. Leaves reticulate- veined, flower
actinomorpic……………………………. Petunia
4. Leaves parallel-veined;flower
zygomorphic………………….…….Spiranthes
CHARACTERS FOR IDENTIFICATION
• A. Leaves – are temporary organ whose
primary function is for transpiration,
respiration and photosynthesis
 1. COMPOSITION
• a. Simple – with only a single blade attached a
single stalk
• b. Compound – two or more blades at the
single stalks
 b.1. Pinnate- leaflets arise along elongated
axis
• b.1.1. Once-odd – with terminal leaflets

• b.1.2. Once –even- no terminal leaflets

• b.1.3. Bi-pinnate- twice-pinnate

• b.1.4. Tri-pinnate- trice pinnate

•
• b.1.5. Penta-pinnate – five times pinnate

• b.1.6. Once-jugate - two leaflets arise

almost the same point
• b.1.7. Bi jugate – twice jugate

• b.1.8. Jugate-pinnate – two pinnately

compound leaves arise from almost the same
point of a single stalk
 b.2 Palmate – leaflets arise from a
common point
• b.2.1. Trifoliate – three leaflets

• b.2.2. Tetrafoliate – four leaflets

• b.2.3. Pentafoliate- five leaflets

 2. Arrangement ( Phyllotaxy)
2.1. Opposite – leaves borne at the same node
2.2. Alternate – inserted at different levels
2.3. Decussate – form of opposite where two consecutives
pairs at right angles to each other
2.4. Spiral or corkscrew – leaves succeedingly around the
stem
2.5 Whorl – more than two leaves arising at the same node
arranged in a circlearound the twig or stem
2.6 Fascicle - a cluster or leaves arising from the same point

2.7. Sub-opposite – appear nearly opposite

 3. Based on Surface
• 3.1 Glabrous – smooth, no hair at any sort
• 3.2. Pubescent – fine covering of sort hairs
• 3.3. Stellate – with star shape hair
• 3.4. Scabrous – with short briskly hairs (sand
paper)
• 3.5. Glandular – with numerous superficial
glands with imbedded oils or resin
 Surface

• 3.6. Rugose – wrinkled due to sunken

condition of the surface
• 3.7. Membranous – with thin or papery
membrane
• 3.8. Coriaceous – leathery
• 3.9. Villous - with long silky, straight hair
• 3.10. Tomentous – with curled, matted
woolly hairs
 4. Leaf Texture
4.1. Sucullent – soft and fleshy, usually thick
4.2. Coriaceous- leathery, thick and tough
4.3. Chartaceous – parchment- like a papery in
texture
4.4. Mambranaceous – thin, translucent, like fine
membrane
4.5. Scarious – thin and dry, neither green or
transparent
4.6. Hyaline – thin and transparent or translucent
 5. Leaf Shape or Outline
• 5.1. Acicular – needle-like or very slender,
long and pointed
• 5.2. Subulate or scale-like- or very short,
sharp pointed, and with broad base
• 5.3. Linear – A number of times longer, very
narrow with nearly straight sides
• 5.4. Oblong – longer than broad, and with
sides nearly parallel
• 5.5. Lanceolate – lance-shape, arrow or the
base but tapers toward the apex
 Apex
5.6 Oblanceolate – inversely lanceolate or a narrow leaf
with a broad apex and a narrow base
5.7. Ovate – Egg-shape with the broadest part near the
base
5.8. Ovobate – inverse ovate or a leaf with a broad
portion above the middle of the blade
5.9. Elliptical – ellipse-like or broad at the middle and
tapering equally towards the base and apex
5.10. Oval – broadly elliptical or with the width greater
than one-half the length
5.11. Orbicular – nearly circular
 Apex
5.12. Reniform – kidney shape
5.13. Cordate – heart- shape
5.14. Deltoid – Triangular
5.15. Rhomboid – rhombus-like, with equal sides with
unequal angles that resemble the diamond
5.16. Spatulate – spoon-shape, broad and rounded at
the apex and tapering toward the base
5.17. Falcate – sickle-shape
5.18. Flabellate – fan-shape
 6. Margin
6.1. Revolute – rolled inward at the lower surface
6.2. Entire – smooth with out lobes or teeth
6.3. Repand – undulate or wavy
6.4. Sinuate – deeply or strongly wavy but not lobed
6.5. Serrete – with sharp teeth pointing the apex
6.6. Dentate – with sharp teeth pointing outward
6.7. Crenate – with blunt to rounded teeth
6.8. Lobed – divided into lobes separated by round
sinuses more than half way
6.9. Parted – divided by sinuses that nearly extended to
the midrib
 7. Leaf Base
7.1. Cuneate – redge-shape, tapering evenly to a narrow,
acute base
7.2. Acute – shape like an acute angle but not
attenuated
7.3. Obtuse – blunt, the side forming and angle have
more than 90 degrees
7.4. Rounded – a full sweeping arc
7.5. Cordate – heart- shape
7.6. Auriculate – with ear like appendages formed by the
two projecting sides diverging laterally
7.7. Truncate – as through abruptly cut off transversely
and forming an angle or approximately 180 degrees
 Leaf base
7.8. Saggittate – arrow-shape or with auricles turned inward

7.9. Hastate – auricles turned outwards

7.10. Peltate – petiole attached at the undersurface of the
leaf blade
7.11. Decurrent – blade of the blades appears to run down
the stem
7.12. Connate – base of two opposite leaves seems to have
fused around the stem
7.13. Perfoliate – sessile and clasps the stem which appears
to extend through it
7.14. Sheating – base of petiole more or less expands and
surrounded the stem
 8. Leaf Apex
• 8.1. Acuminate – shape like an acute angle
with long attenuated point
• 8.2. Acute – shape like an acute angle and
tapering more broadly to a sharp point
• 8.3. Obtuse – blunt pointed with the sides
forming and angle of more than 90 degrees
• 8.4. Rounded – like a full sweeping arc
• 8.5. Truncate – nearly square of forming an
angle of about 180 degrees
 Leaf Apex

8.6. Retuse – with a shallow notched

8.7. Emarginate – more deeply notched
8.8. Cuspidate – ending with sharp, rigid point or
cusp
8.9. Mucronate – abruptly tipped with a hair like

8.10. Caudate – tail-like

 9. Leaf Venation
9.1. Parallel – veins run parallel to each other
9.2. Dichotomous – veins that is forking
9.3 Arcuate – when the second veins curve and run almost
parallel to the leaf
9.4. Palmately veined – having a prominent midrib with
secondary veins branching off at intervals
9.5. Arcuately veined – with secondary veins curved and
running almost parallel to the leaf margin for some
instance
9.6. Pinnately veined – when there is a prominent midrib
with straight veins reaching up the margin
9.7. Netted or open – with vein or vein lets forming a
network
 B. Bark
• Refers to the outer covering of the trunks/stem, which can
be separated from the wood.
• It consists of living sappy bark varying in color, and dull,
hard and often corky outer bark that is the more
distinctive.
• Bark characters provides important characters for
identification, although it nearly always changes with the
size of the tree. In particular, small individuals are usually
smooth.
• Colours are darker in wet trees, and paler usually grayish on
exposed ones. A number of forest trees have barks of
striking color e.g. Ficus variegata with ornge-brown barks
and Diospyros spp. with gray or blackish barks.
 Smooth barks
• the surface is not corrugated, furrowed or
ridge but may roughened or bumpy with
protrusions lenticels, woody knots, or
scattered disease like swelling on the bole
 Smooth type of bark
1.1. Candle bark – The surface is completely smooth all
over although it may have scanty lenticels displayed
irregularly by sloughed portion
1.2. Pimpled – Minute lenticels or corky pustules
discernible only through close examination
predominate surface
1.3. Pocked – The surface is roughened by distinctly large
raised corky postulates observable even at a distance
– Cankered – Bark with small to medium size woody
out growth or knotty excrescence’s or disease-like
roughening, scattered or scantly on the surface
 2. Rough
• – The surface is corrugated and wrinkled with
indentations, large or small like fissures
 Rough
2.1. Flaky – Bark that has large, irregular or
rectangular sheets, more than 3 inches or flakes
of dead crock that are long persistent
2.2. Scaly – Bark dehiscing into regular or
irregular square like sheet, less than 3 inches or
may be more or less circular to resemble a fish
scale
2.3. Scarry – Bark which flakes or scales into
regular or irregular shapes and when sloughed
leaves mark or scars, deep or shallow on the
surface
 2.4. Fissured – Bark with longitudinal indentation or
cracks that are much narrower than raised part (ridges)
between
2.4.1. Regular-fissured - Longitudinal fissures or furrows
distinctly deep, and more or less continuous, either close
together or part apart
2.4.2. Irregularly-fissured – Bark dehiscing to produce
longitudinal fissures or furrows that are shallow, wavy,
and more or less discontinuous
2.4.3. Boat or diamond fissured – Longitudinal fissures or
furrows tend to run obliquely and intersect to produce a
boat shape
2.4.4. V-shaped fissures – The fissures or furrows are deep
and usually closely set, with the ridges between raised
into sharp angles
 2.5. Ridged – Bark with longitudinal indentation of
cracks wider or as wide as the raised part (ridges)
between.
2.5.1. Flat ridge – The raised part in between fissures or
furrows distinctly flat or level
2.5.2. Concave ridge – The raised part in between fissures
is more or less curved upward on the creating a hollow
or depressed ridge surface
2.5.3. Covex ridge – The ridge are humped and sharply
angled, associated with V-shaped fissures
2.5.4. Tesselated – Flat ridges that further flake and
detach its lower and curved upward
 Rough
2.6. Spiny – Bark armed with stiff, long, narrow,
sharp wood processes
2.7. Papery – Bark that flakes into regular or
irregularly shaped thin paper like sheets
2.8. Grid cracked – Bark that dehisces or splits
longitudinally and transversely into minute or
large, square-like to rectangular shapes.
 C. Stem Form – the stem of a tree above any basal
swellings or extensions (e.g. buttresses and stilt roots)
may be in several forms.
• Cylindrical – not or only slightly tapering in length from
base of tree upwards or (if buttresses present from
above buttresses); generally circular in cross section.
• Tapering – decreasing perceptively in diameter upwards;
rare in tropical forest.
• Latticed – outer part (whole) of stem forming an open,
latticed like structure.
• Angular – irregular and not circular in cross section.
• Fluted – with conspicuous vertical ridges and grooves in
cross section (the ridges including wood and bark)
 Modified or Metamorphosed Stem
• Bulb – a short, erect, underground stem surrounded by
fleshy leaves e.g. onion, garlic, amaryllids
• Bulbel – a small bulb produced from base of larger bulb
• Bulbil – a small bulb or bulb like body produced on above
ground parts, onion
• Bulblet – a small bulb, irrespective of origin
• Caudex – a short, thick, vertical or branched perennuial
stem usually subterranean or at the ground level, also
referring to the woody base of perennial plant.
• Cladode (phylloclad) – a stem having the appearance and
function of leaf –some species of Acacia, Muhlenbeckia,
Opuntia,Coccoluba and Epiphyllum.
• Corm – enlarged, solid, fleshly base of the stem with scales;
upright underground stem, Musa, Aroids, Gladiolus.
• Cormel – small corn produced at the based of parent corm
• Culm – stem of grasses and sedges
• Pachycauly – short, thick frequently succulent stem – Cactus
• Rhizome- a horizontally flattened underground stem- ginger
• Rootstock – a term applied to miscellaneous typed of
underground stem or parts.
• Runner – horizontally cylindrical underground stem – Cogon,
arrow root
• Stolon – above ground prostrate stem, rooting at nodes
forming with buds, forming new plants –strawberry,
Bermuda grass, kulape grass
 Modified stem
• Scape- a naked flowering stem with or without scale leaves
arising from underground stem – Amaryllids
• Sucker – ashoot arising below ground or from an old stem,
usually fast growing and advetitous – banana, pineappkle
and some palms
• Tendril – long slender coiling branch adapted from climbing
–cucurbits, passiflora ,grape
• Thorn – a sharp pointed branch -citrus
• Tiller – a grass shoot produced from base of stem of mother
plant
• Tuber – a thick storage stem usually not upright – Potato
• Underground Stolon – elongate , underground propagative
stem with long internodes forming a bulb or tuber at the tip
– Bermuda grass
 D. Fruit
• basically a matured or ripined ovary. In some
cases, other floral parts form part of the fruit.
The apple and the cashew are largely derived
from the torus of receptacle. The calyx forms
the red fleshy edible fruit of rossele. In some
fruits, tha aril, which may be derived from the
funiculus or outgrowth of the testa, becomes
fleshy and edible as in camatchili, rambutan
and mango.
 fruit
• Within the fruit may be one or more seeds.
Normally fruit formation goes hand and hand
with seed formation as a result of fertilization.
Such fruit are called parthenocarpic fruits, e.g.
seedless grapes, orange and papaya
• The fruit wall called pericarp, it is
differentiated into an outer layer, the exocarp;
middle layer, the mesocarp; and an inner layer
the endocarp. Within the pericarp are cavities or
locules where one or more seeds are contained.
 fruit
• The term fruit does not only apply to those
that have sweet, edible portions, but also to
those which, are commonly referred to as
vegetables like upo, kalabasa, patola, and
grain of rice, corn, sorghum, wheat. The main
function of the fruit is to hold and to protect
the seeds until they mature. The fruit also
helps in the dissemination or dispersal of the
seeds.
 I. Classification of fruits

• Number of flowers and ovaries involved in

their formation
A. Simple fruit – develops from one ovary of a
single flower. E.g. beans, tomatoes and guava
B. Compound fruits – develop from several
ovaries of one or more flower
 B. Compound fruit
B.1. Aggregate fruit – develops from several
ovaries of single flowers. E.g. atis, anonas,
guyabano, and strawberry.
B.2. Collective or multiple fruits – derived from
several ovaries of a several flowers or from the
ovaries of a compact inflorescence e.g.
pineapple, langka, rimas, tibig.
C. Acessory fruit –form from ovary together with
the non-essential parts of the flower e.g. Cashew,
Apple
 As to structure
Fleshy fruits – fruit wall is fleshy and juicy when ripe
(Berry)

a. Berry or Bacca – fruit with soft thick and juicy pericarp.

a.1. Hesperidium – citrus type of berry fruits with thick
leathery rind and numerous oil glands in the exocarp and
the mesocarp; the pulp sacs or vesicles which, contain
the juice are actually outgrowth of the endocarp wall e.g.
kalamansi.
a.2. Pepo – a berry with slightly hard outer wall
consisting of receptacle and exocarp; the mesocarp is
fleshy. (hard rind cucumber)
 b. Drupe
• – also called stone fruits; simple fleshy fruits
derived from a single carpel, usually one
seeded; the exocarp is thin, the mesocarp is
fleshy and the endocarp is stony.
• Mesocarp fleshy – fleshy drupe mango
• Mesocarp fibrous – fibrous drupe Coconut
 Dry fruits
• – pericarp is dry when ripe (rice, narra, corn,
ipil-ipil, kulachichi)

a. Dehiscent Fruits – opening spontaneously

when ripe splitting into determined parts to
discharge seeds; usually several seeded./
1. Fruits that developed from a
single carpel
• Follicle – a pod like fruit opening along one
sutuere; splits down the ventral side (kulachuchi)

• Legume or Pod – a pod fruit that splits along two

sutures at the junctions of two contiguous and
fused parts (ipil-ipil, golden shwers and beans)
2. Fruits that develop from an ovary with two or
more carpels
• Silique – pod like fruit that develops from two carpels,
separating at maturity leaving persistent partition wall
between carpels (garlic vine)
• Capsule – develops from two or more carpels dehiscing
in four different ways. (banaba)
• Septical – splitting along the septa or partition
• Loculicidal – splitting along the dorsal suture at the
middle of each carpels; the opening is right into the cell.
• Circumscissile- opening of the fruit is by a circular or
transverse (horizontal) at the apex.
•
b. Indehiscent Fruits – fruits not dehiscing
upon maturity
1. Simple Indehiscent Fruits
• Nut – one seeded fruit with a thick hard,
stony pericarp (kasoy)
• Samara – winged fruit with one or two seeds;
the wing is an extension or outgrowth to
pericarp (bagtikan or Diptercarpaceae spp.)
• Grain or caryopsis – seed inseparable
 2. Aggregate Indehiscent fruits

• Schizocarp – paired fruit that develops from

multiloculate ovaries that split into two one-halves
or achenes.
 E. Carpels and Ovules
Number and Union of Carpels
• Monocarpellate – when the gynoecium is composed of a
single carpel
• Apocarpous – it is composed of two to many carpels free
and separate from one another
• Syncarpous- it is compose of two or many united carpels
• Sutures of carpel- the seam of union;each union has two
seams
a. dorsal surface – the midrib of the carpel
b. ventral suture- the unioted margins on which the ovules
are borne
• Placenta- the part of ovary to which the ovules are
attached
 Types of Placentation
• Laminar or superficial – the ovules are attached
all over the inner surface of the carpel e.g.
Nymphaea, Limnocharis
• Marginal or submarginal – the ovules are attached
to the inner wall (usually near or confined to the
ventral surface) of the ovary. It occurs in solitary
of free carpels
• Parietal – the ovules are attached near the center
of the ovary at the junction or axis of the partition
that divide the syncarpous into compartment
 Type of placentation
• Free-central – the ovules are attached to a
central column arising from the base of the
ovary locule and reaching to the top of the
ovary.
• Free-basal – same as free-central but not
reaching the top of the ovary
• Basal or apical – the ovules;usually few or one,
are attached near the base or the top of ovary
locule.
 External Features of the Ovules or Seeds
• Funiculus – the stalk of an ovule
• Hilum – the scar left on the seed at the point
where the funiculus was attached
• Raphe – the ridge by the fusion of funiculus with
the ovule when the funiculus is bent
• Chalaza- the upper portion of the raphe where
the funiculus merges with the base of the ovule;
or ending of the vascular supply to the ovule
• Micropyle- the minute pore through which the
pollen tube (or pollen) enters the ovule
 F. Flowers
Parts of Flowers
1. Calyx- the collection of sepals that enclose the
organs in the bud
a.Sepals – one of the separate parts of a calyx
b. Calyx lobe – one of the free parts of the
calyx (of which the sepals are usually united)
c. Perianth – collective term for both calyx and
corolla
 2. Corolla
– the collection of petals inside the calyx and
forming the showy part of the flower
a. Petals- one of the free parts of the corolla
b. Corolla lobe – one of the free parts of the
corolla (of which the petals are usually joined.
c. Tepals – one of the free parts of the perianth
only when the distinction between the sepals
and petals is not clear
 3. Androecium
- the collective term for stamens
a. Stamen- the pollen bearing organ of the
flower generally consisting of an anther( the
portion which contains the pollen grains) and
a filament ( the narrow portion which support
the anther)
b. Staminode – an abortive stamen, usually
filaments only, sometimes reduced to a scale
of nectar.
 4. Gynoecium (or pistil)
- the central organ of the flower , composed of one
or more (free or united) carpels
a. Stigma- the pollen receptive part as the top, either
simple or lobed or branched often hairy or viscid.
b. Style -= the narrow column below the stigma
c. Ovary – the enlarged portion, usually bottled shape
which contains one or more ovules inside. The ovary
may either simple of one or two many fused carpel’s
d. Complete flower – when the four major floral parts (
sepals, petals, stamens, gynoecium) are present
 gynoecium
e. Incomplete flower – when one or more of these
major parts is lacking
f. Bisexual or hermaphrodite (or monoelinous, perfect)
flowers having both stamen and pistil regardless the
presence or absence of perianth.
g. Unisexual (or diclinous, imperfect) flower having only
stamens or gynoecium also regardless the presence
or absence of perianth.
h. Staminate – flowers having stamen only
i. Carpellate- (or pistillate)- having gynoecium only
 gynoecium
j. Monoecious plant- when the flower is unisexual and both
present on the same plant. E.g. corn, coconut, cucurbits
k. Dioecious- when the unisexual flower occurs on separate
plants. E.g. papaya, rambutan,pili
l. Polygasmous plant – when some flowers are unisexual other
are bisexual all occur on the same plant e.g. Mangifera
m. Polygamo-monoecious plant- bisexual flowers and
unisexual flowers of both sexes and found on the single
plants
n. Polygamo-dioecious- bisexual flowers associated with
staminate ones on one plant, and with carpellate ones on
another plant
 Symmetry of flowers
1. Actinomorphic or regular – the flower
especially with reference to the corolla is
symmetrical radially, meaning it can be
divided into equal halves by a vertical plane in
various directions.
2. Zygomorphic or irregular- the perianth size
are similar in size and shape, therefore the
flower can be divided into equal halves only
by a single vertical plane.
 Insertion of Floral Parts and Relative
Position of Ovary
1. Hypogynous – the sepals, petals, and stamens inserted
around the base of the gynoecium and free from it, ovary
superior
2. Perigynous- the sepals, petals and stamens inserted on the
rim of a shallow or deep cuplike hyphanthium ( or
receptacle) which arises at the base of the gynoecium and
either free from or adnate to it ovary either superior, half
interior, or interior.
3. Epygenous- the perianth and the stamen arise directly from
the summit of the ovary anf the hypanthium grows up
around the ovary and adnate to it; ovary superior.
 Types of Inflorescences
1. Spike – Unbranched, indeterminate, elongate
inflorescense with sessile flowers, more or less
equal length.
2. Raceme – Unbranched, indeterminate inflorescence
with pedicelled flowers. An inflorescence consisting
of central rachis bearing a number of pedicelled
flowers; the pedicels of nearly equal length at
maturity.
3. Head – an inflorescence consisting of a number of
sessile flowers clustered on a common receptacle: a)
globose; b) flat topped
 inflorescence
4. Head – an inflorescence consisting of a number of
sessile flowers clustered on a common receptacle: a)
globose; b) flat topped
5. Umbel – A determinate or indeterminate flat-
topped or convex inflorescence with the pedicels
arising at a common point. Several branches
arising from a common point at the summit of the
peduncle are terminated either by single flower
(hence simple umbel) or secondary umbels( hence
compound umbel)
6. Ament or Catkin- A flexible, usually inverted, scaly
typically pendulous spike bearing
7. Panicle- a lose term referring to an elongated inflorescence
with a central axis along which are simple or branched
racemes (or spikes) or are cymes.
8. Spadix- a densely flowering spike with a fleshy and
thickened axis a large subtending or enclosing spathe
9. Corymb – An inflorescence consisting of a central rachis
bearing a number of branched pedicels, the lower one
much longer than the upper resulting in a flat or more or
less round-topped/flat-topped raceme or cluster of
flowers; pedicels of the lower or older flowers are longer
than those of the upper (or younger) flowers.
10. Cyme – An inflorescence consisting of a central rachis
bearing a number of pedicelled flowers: a) cylindrical, the
pedicels of nearly equal length at maturity; b) flat-topped
the pedicels of unequal length.
 G. Root character
Types of Root System
a. Tap root – a main root , extension of radficle of embryo,
growing downward from which branch roots arise, e.g.
dicots.
b. Fascicled roots – several tuberous roots arranged in
cluster from the base of stem, approximately equal in
size. E.g. cassava
c. Fibrous roots- a number of slender roots arranged in
cluster from the base or from nodes of the stem e.g.
grasses.
d. Adventitious roots – growing from vegetative cuttings
,nodes ,internodes, hypocotyls and older roots e.g. Ficus
elastic
 Modefied or Metamorphosed Roots
a. Pneumatophores- respiratory roots arising vertically
from underground root, common in mangrove
species e.g. Rhizophora
b. For support - Brace root e.g. Pandanus sp.
Buttress e.g. Dracontomelon dao
Round root e.g. Vitex parviflora
Prop root e.g. Canarium luzonicum
Stilt root e.g. Sonneratia sp
c. For storage cassava, sweet potato, carrot,
radish
d. Photosynthetic root - orchids
• THANK YOU AND

• GOOD LUCK

• GOD BLESS YOU ALL