The nature of the inferior ovary in some monocotyledonous families

Abstract

The floral vasculature aspects of twenty-four species belonging to six monocotyledonous families are dealt with. These selected taxa include 23 horticulture species cultivated in Egypt and the remainders is among the wild flora of Egypt. A great attention has been focused by phylogenetists on the position of the ovary with respect to the other parts of the flower. In this connection, the nature of the inferior ovary is generally discussed on the basis of two theories; appendicular and axial. It is fortunate that the vascular skeleton can still be regarded as the most conservative character and that it may be rather conclusive in the determination of the nature of the inferior ovary. In the present study, the different patterns of floral vascularization are presented in cumulative tables and figures to facilitate the comparative study. Moreover, an interpretation to the observed variations is also tried to reach at the relations between the taxa studied and to determine the nature of the hypanthium.

Keywords

• Epigynous flower
• floral vasculature
• hypanthium
• inferior ovary
• monocotyledons