Hypanthium

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In a pomegranate flower, Punica granatum, the petals, except for their fused bases, soon fall. The
hypanthium with sepal lobes and stamens still attached develops to form the outer layer of the fruit.
In angiosperms, a hypanthium or floral cup[1][2][3] is a structure where basal portions of the calyx,
the corolla, and the stamens form a cup-shaped tube. It is sometimes called a floral tube, a term that is
also used for corolla tubeand calyx tube.[citation needed] It can often contain the nectaries of the plant. It is
present in most flowering species, although varies in structural dimensions and appearance.[4] This
differentiation between the hypanthium in particular species is useful with identification.
Some geometric forms are obconic shapes as in toyon, whereas some are saucer-shaped as in Mitella
caulescens.
Its presence is diagnostic of many families, including the Rosaceae, Grossulariaceae, and Fabaceae. In
some cases, it can be so deep, with such a narrow top, that the flower can appear to have
an inferior ovary - the ovary is below the other attached floral parts. The hypanthium is known by
different common names in differing species. In the eucalypts, it is referred to as the gum nut; in roses it
is called the hip.

Contents
[hide]

1Variations in plant species

2References

3Bibliography

3.1Books

3.2Websites
4External links

Variations in plant species[edit]

Ovary superior to hypanthium

Hypanthum in Rosa

Narcissus pseudonarcissus, showing from the upper bend to the tip of the flower: spathe, ovary,
hypanthium, tepals, corona
In myrtles the hypanthium can either surround the ovary loosely or tightly; in some cases it can be fused
to the walls of the ovary. It can vary in length. The rims around the outside of the hypanthium contain the
calyx lobes or free sepals, petals and either the stamen or multiple stamen that are attached at one or
two points. The flowers of the Rosaceae family always have some type of hypanthium or at least a floral
cup from which the sepals, petals and stamens all arise. In the Rosaceae family, or the rose family, the
hypanthium is lined with nectar-producing tissue known as nectaries. The nectar is a sugary substance

that attracts birds and bees to the flower, who then take the pollen from the lining of the hypanthium and
transfer it to the next flower they visit, usually a neighbouring plant.[5]
The stamens borne on the rim of the hypanthium are the pollen-producing reproductive organs of the
flower. The androecious or male organ usually consists of a filament which is a structure that supports
the anther, which release the pollen. The anthers are typically two-lobed and attach to the filament either
at the base or middle.[6] The hypanthium helps in many ways with the reproduction and cross
pollination pathways of most plants. It provides weather protection and a medium to sustain the lost
pollen, increasing the probability of fertility and cross-pollination.[7] The retained pollen can then attach
to pollinators such as birds, bees, moths, beetles, bats, butterflies and other animals. Wind can act as an
instigator for fertilisation. The hypanthium is also an adaptive feature for structural support. It helps
the stem fuse together with the flower, in turn strengthening the bond and overall stability and integrity.[6]

References[edit]
1.

Jump up^ Foster 2014, Hypanthium.

2.

Jump up^ Beentje, H.; Williamson, J. (2010). The Kew Plant Glossary: an
Illustrated Dictionary of Plant Terms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Kew Publishing.

3.

Jump up^ Hickey, M.; King, C. (2001). The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of
Botanical Terms. Cambridge University Press.

4.

Jump up^ Cronquist 1981.

5.

Jump up^ Givnish 1997.

6.

^ Jump up to:a b Snow 2003.

7.

Jump up^ Clarke 2004.

Bibliography[edit]
Books[edit]

Cronquist, Arthur (1981), An integrated system of classification of flowering plants,

Columbia University Press, ISBN 978-0-231-03880-5

Givnish, Thomas J (1997), Molecular evolution and adaptive radiation, Cambridge

University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-57329-0

Snow, Neil Wilton (2003), Systematics of Austromyrtus, Lenwebbia, and the Australian
species of Gossia (Myrtaceae), American Society of Plant Taxonomists, ISBN 978-0-91286165-4

Faegri, Knut; Iversen, Johannes, 1904- (1975), Textbook of pollen analysis(3rd rev. ed.),
Hafner Press, retrieved 8 November 2013

Clarke, Andrew (2004). The AgLaw papers. Armidale, N.S.W: Australian Centre for
Agriculture and Law. ISBN 9781863898737.

Websites[edit]

Foster, Tony. "Botany Word of the Day". Phytography. Retrieved 27 November 2014.

External links[edit]

Hypanthium images on MorphBank, a biological image database