Question

Pentamerous actinomorphic flowers, bicarpellary ovary with oblique septa, and fruit capsule or berry, are characteristic features of-

• A. Liliaceae
• B. Asteraceae
• C. Brassicaceae
• D. Solanaceae

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

Solanaceae

Answer 2

A pentamerous actinomorphic flower is one where the floral parts are in multiples of five and the flower can be divided into two equal halves in more than one plane. Gynoecium is bicarpellary, syncarpous, forming a superior bilocular ovary. Each locule has many ovule on axile placentation. Members of solanaceae are characterised by the presence of an obliquely placed septum in the ovary and highly swollen placentae. The oblique septum is probably due to shifting in the position of the ovary. Family liliaceae has trimerous actinomorphic flowers with tricarpellary syncarpous superior ovary, family asteraceae has zygomorphic flowers and family brassicaceae has dimerous or tetramerous actinomorphic or zygomophic flower with bicarpellary syncarpous superior ovary.