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| 1. |
Describe reproductive whorls of flower |
| Answer» In botany, a\xa0whorl\xa0or verticil is an arrangement of leaves, sepals, petals, stamens, or carpels that radiate from a single point and surround or wrap around the stem or stalk. A leaf\xa0whorl\xa0consists of at least three elements; a pair of opposite leaves is not called a\xa0whorl.\xa0A typical flower has four main parts—or whorls—known as the calyx, corolla, androecium, and gynoecium.\xa0The outermost whorl of the flower has green, leafy structures known as sepals. The sepals, collectively called the calyx, help to protect the unopened bud. The second whorl is comprised of petals—usually, brightly colored—collectively called the corolla. The number of sepals and petals varies depending on whether the plant is a monocot or dicot. In monocots, petals usually number three or multiples of three; in dicots, the number of petals is four or five, or multiples of four and five. Together, the calyx and corolla are known as the\xa0perianth. The third whorl contains the male reproductive structures and is known as the androecium. The\xa0androecium\xa0has stamens with anthers that contain the microsporangia. The innermost group of structures in the flower is the\xa0gynoecium, or the female reproductive component(s). The carpel is the individual unit of the gynoecium and has a stigma, style, and ovary. A flower may have one or multiple carpels.If all four whorls (the calyx, corolla, androecium, and gynoecium) are present, the flower is described as complete. If any of the four parts is missing, the flower is known as incomplete. Flowers that contain both an androecium and a gynoecium are called perfect, androgynous or hermaphrodites. There are two types of incomplete flowers: staminate flowers contain only an androecium, and carpellate flowers have only a gynoecium\xa0 | |