Name: Class:

Sexual Reproduction inFloweringPlants

Investigation 12.1 To examineaninsect-pollinatedflower, e.g. Clitoria
ApparatusandMateriaIs

Procedure
1. Examine,drawandlabeltheexternalfeaturesoftheflower.
External features of flower
Magnification =X
2. Cuttheflowerlongitudinallyintotwohalves.To dothis,carryoutthefollowing
instructions.
(a) Cutoffhalfthestandardpetal(thelargestpetal).
(b) Removeonewingpetalfromthesameside.Youwillnowseetwogreenish-
yellowkeelpetals.
ovary
(c) Removeonekeelpetalfromthesameside.Youcannowseethestamen
trough,whichenclosestheovary,9anthersattheendofthestamentrough,a
free stamen(i.e. notfusedwiththetrough),astigmaandaportionofthestyle.
stamentrough
style
; r v o y ~
I
r
stigma freestamen stigma
Fig. 12.1 Fig. 12.2
(d) Cutthestamentroughlengthwisetorevealthepistil(orgynoecium).Take
carenottodamagethepistil.
(e) Verycarefullycuttheovarylengthwisetorevealtheovulesinsideit.
3. Examinethebaseofthestamentrough.Youmayfindsomesticky,sugaryfluidinit.
Thisisnectar.
4. Makealarge,labelleddrawingofthehalfflower. Labelthefollowingstructures:
pedicel(flowerstalk),calyx,standardpetal,nectarguides,wingpetal,keelpetal,
stamentrough,filament,anther,freestamen,ovary,ovules,style,stigma.
A half flower
5. Removeafewanthers.Examinethemunderamicroscope.Notethesize,shapeand
thesurfacesofthepollengrains.ExaminealsothepollengrainsofHibiscusunder
themicroscope.Makeadrawingofonepollengrainfromeachflower.
Clitoriapollengrain Hibiscuspollengrain
6. Doesthepollengrainhavea smoothorroughsurface?
7. Listout4featurestoshowthattheflowerisadaptedtoinsectpollination.
(a)
(b)
(c)
8. ExaminethefruitofClitoria. Splititinto2halves.Makealabelleddrawingofone
halfofthefruit.
OnehalfofClitoriafruit
9. Changestakeplaceintheflowerduringfruitformation.Completethefollowing
tabletoshowthechangesthattakeplaceduringfruitformation. Drawalineto
matcheachstructurewiththecorrectfunctionintheright-handcolumn,thefirst
examplehasbeendoneforyou.
Flowerpart
petals
sepals
ovary
ovule
style
stigma
stamens
ovarywall
Changesduringfruitformation
fruit
seeds
witherandfalloff
onlypartofitremains
maypersistinthefruit
pericarp
witherandfalloff
witherandfall off
Name: Class:
Investigation 12.2 To examine a wind-pollinated flower
(StudyChapter20ofyourtextbookbeforeyouproceedwiththisinvestigation.)
Apparatus and Materials
grassinflorescences,e.g. acoverslip
Ischaemum muticum arazorblade
ahandlens
forceps
amicroscope a mountedneedle
aglassslide asmallpieceofblackpaper
Procedure
1. ExamineaninflorescenceofIschaemllm suchas theonesshowninFig12.3. Note:
(a) thelarge,featherystigmasprotrudingoutofthebracts,
(b) thestamenshavelong,slenderpendulousfilamentsthathangoutsidethe
bractsexposingtheantherstothewind.Theanthersshakeeasilyuponthe
slightestbreeze.
Fig. 12.3Two inflorescences of Ischaemum Fig. 12.4A pair of spike lets
2. Carefullyseparatetheinflorescencebyusingapairofforceps.You wouldbeableto
findspikeletsoccurringinpairssuchasinFig. 12.4.
3. Ofthepairofspikelets,one(usuallythelowerspikelet)is biggerthantheother.
Usingforceps,verycarefullyspreadopenthespikeletsothatyouhavesomething
thatlookslikeFig. 12.5below.
Fig. 12.5A spikelet opened up
Thespikeletyouhavespreadopenconsistsof2flowers.Notehowsmalltheflowersare.
Oneflowerhas3stamensonlywhiletheotherhasbothstamensandpistil.
4. Carefullyremovethebracts(leaf-likestructures).Takeoutthepistilandthe
stamens.Placethemonapieceofblackpaper.Examinethemwithahandlens.
Makealarge,labelleddrawingofonestamenandthepistil.Labelthefollowing:
ovary,styles,stigmas,filament,anther.
Stamen Pistil
Magnification = X Magnification = X
5. Crushopentheanthersonaglassslideordustsomepollenontotheslide.Examine
thepollengrainsunderthemicroscope.Makealargedrawingofonepollengrain.
A pollen grain
6. Comparethesizeofthispollengrainwiththeonesyouhaveseenintheinsect-
pollinatedflowerinInvestigation12.1.Whichpollengrainisbiggest?
7. Observethepollengrainagain. Doesit haveasmoothorroughsurface?
8. Listout3featuresthatshowthattheflowerisadaptedtowindpollination.
(a)
(b)
(c)
Investigation 12.3 Question from Singapore-CambridgeGCE '0'Level
Science Practical Examination, November 1984
"'-- "-'
andMaterials .
\',:,':<."', __ __ -;--- \'L-:1<>-:,<, ....::', _," ,'_, _"> .,'_ _ _' __ ",::, ,,':;'_:_:;'
followthepxactical
,,-c", ';' "
Procedure
Examinetheflowerlabelled51.
(a) Fromyourobservations
(i) statethreereasonswhyyouthinkthatthisfloweris insect-pollinated,
1
2
3
(ii) describehowaninsectmightpollinatethisflower.
(b) Completethefollowingtabletoindicatethepartsofthecompleteflowerthatwill
notbepresentinthematurefruit. Statethefunctionintheflowerofeachpart
named.
Partname Functioninflower
(c) Removethepetalscarefully,leavingtheremainderoftheflowerintact.Examine
whatisleftof51andmakealargelabelleddrawingofthisspecimenasseenfroma
sideview. Statethemagnificationofyourdrawing.
Magnification = X
(d) Completethefollowingtabletoindicatethepartsofthecompleteflowerthatwillbe
presentinthematurefruit. Foreachpartnamedstatethechangesthattakeplace
duringfruitformation.
Partname Changestakingplaceinfruitformation
(e) Innaturalconditions,flowerslike51growtogetherinlargebunches,ormanygrow
closetogetherinaspikeononetallcommonstalk.Howdoesthisaidtheirchances
ofpollination?