Q. A student observed inflorescences in Bougainvillea and inflorescences in Poinsettia. Find out the number of flowers in Bougainvillea and the number of female flowers in Poinsettia, respectively.

 105  175 Morphology of Flowering Plants Report Error

Solution:

In Bougainvillea, inflorescence is a dichasial cyme, where medially situated peduncle itself finishes in a flower and bears two lateral floral branches at the base of its origin. Hence, in 34 inflorescences, the number of flowers is 102. In Poinsettia, inflorescence is cyanthium type. In this, a single central female flower remains surrounded by numerous male flower in a cap formed by the fusion of involucre, so in 42 inflorescences, the number of female flower is 42