Question
Biology Question on morphology of flowering plants
Pentamerous, actinomorphic flowers, bicarpellary ovary with oblique septa, and fruit a capsule or berry, are characteristic features of:
Asteraceae
Brassicaceae
Solanaceae
Liliaceae
Solanaceae
Solution
Pentamerous Flowers : Solanaceae flowers typically have five petals, five sepals, and five stamens. This pentamerous arrangement is a common feature within the Solanaceae family.
Actinomorphic Flowers : Flowers in Solanaceae exhibit radial symmetry, which means you can divide the flower into equal halves in multiple ways, such as a wheel.
Bicarpellary Ovary with Oblique Septa : In the Solanaceae family, the ovary typically has two carpels, and these carpels have oblique septa, which are partitions or divisions within the ovary that are not parallel to its axis.
Fruit as a Capsule or Berry : The fruits produced by members of the Solanaceae family are often in the form of capsules or berries. For example, tomatoes and eggplants are both part of the Solanaceae family and produce berry-type fruits.
The other options:
Asteraceae: This family typically has composite flowers (multiple small flowers in a head), not pentamerous flowers.
Brassicaceae: Brassicaceae family members, such as mustard and cabbage, usually have four-petaled flowers, not pentamerous.
Liliaceae: Liliaceae family members often have trimerous (parts in threes) flowers and various fruit types (e.g., capsules or bulbs), which do not align with the description provided in the question.
Therefore, the combination of pentamerous, actinomorphic flowers, bicarpellary ovary with oblique septa, and fruit in the form of a capsule or berry is a characteristic feature of the Solanaceae family, making option (C) the correct answer.