The Magnoliidae

1. Liriodendron - Magnoliaceae - Magnoliales:

TAKE half of a flower bud. The Magnoliales includes taxa with flowers that have retained some "primitive" characters.
LOOK for an elongate floral axis, numerous parts that are spirally arranged, lack of differentiation between calyx and corolla, actinomorphy (regular flowers), and lack of connation (fusion of like parts) and lack of adnation (fusion of unlike parts). .Compare against th floral formula given in W&K (p. 185.)  Liriodendron appears to be syncarpous (carpels fused) at this stage of development. However, the carpels will separate at maturity (see dried specimen) into samaras --winged achenes.
DIAGRAM YOUR LIRIODENDRON FLOWER:
 

2. Nymphaea or Nelumbo

These plants (once lumped into the Nymphaeaceae) are thought to be a primitive group with perhaps some ties to the monocots. All the members areaquatic herbs, often with peltate leaves.
LOOK at the demonstration material or video. NOTE the many floral parts and leaf-like stamens (often some of them petaloid). The gynoecium may be syncarpous or consist of separate carpels sunk into the receptacle--as in Nelumbo.
SKETCH Nymphaea or Nelumbo
 

3. Ranunculus - Family: ___________________ Ranunculales:

The Ranunculales, while generally sharing the primitive floral structure of the Magnoliales, are mostly herbaceous, an advanced characteristic.
EXAMINE a Ranunculus flower and compare what you see against fig. 11-9 (p. 191) in W&K and with the wall chart. Note the regular (ACTINOMORPHIC) perianth with reflexed (bending back) sepals, and extended floral axis with numerous stamens and pistils.
CONSTRUCT a floral formula.
Floral Formula: ______________________________________________
KEY to family and genus (Terrestrial herb with yellow corolla):_____________________________________________________________________________________________
ISOLATE an individual pistil (unicarpellate, simple) from the APOCARPOUS gynoecium This will mature into a dry, indehiscent fruit. Dissect this carpel and determine fruit type:_______________________________
SKETCH RANUNCULUS FLOWER AND FRUIT:
 
 

4. Eschscholzia - Papaveraceae - Papaverales:

The Papaverales represent an advanced element of the Magnoliidae.
EXAMINE the video or demonstration flower and note two derived aspects of floral structure: 1) adnation of androecium and corolla, 2) connation of carpels. (Click to see fruit of Papaver)
SKETCH these features:
Also SKETCH cross-section of the ovary. How many carpels in this SYNCARPOUS gynoecium? _______________ What is the placentation type? _________________