AIM : To study the structure of hibiscus plant

APPARATUS : Slide and microscope

PROCEDURE :

1. The slide was placed on the microscope.

2. The light source was adjusted to enable a bright be seen when looking through the
eyepiece lens.

3. The objective lens should not been push very far down to prevent the slide from breaking.
A good microscope technique to prevent such incident are:
 The objective lens were set on low power
 The objective lens was carefully lower by looking at the side of the microscope
and not looking through the eyepiece. Furthermore, the objective lens should not
quiet touching the slide.
 The objective lens was gradually raised until the slide came to a focus by looking
through the eye piece.

4. The transverse section of pollen grain was examined under low power.

5. In order to examine the pollen grain in details, the objective lens was adjusted from low
power to high power without refocus.
Pollen grain at magnification x10

Pollen grain at magnification x40

DISCUSSION

1. Flower has four structural parts forming four whorls which are known as
calyx, corolla, androecium, and gynoecium.

2. Calyx is the outer whorl of sepals.

3. Corolla is the whorl of petals which are usually thin, soft and coloured to
attract insects that help the process of pollination.

4. Androecium is one or two whorls of stamen, each of the filaments topped

by an anther where pollen is produced.
 5. Pollen consists of male gametes.

6. Gynoecium is one or more pistils. The female organ is the carpel and
contains an ovary with ovules.

7. The sticky tip of the pistil, the stigma is the receptor of pollen. The
supportive stalk, the style become the pathway for pollen tube to grow
from pollen grains entering stigma, to the ovule, carrying the
reproductive material.

8. At x10 magnification wall of pollen grain can be observed.

9. At x40 magnification cellulose, tube nucleus, generative nucleus can be

observed.

CONCLUSION

The hibiscus flower consists of calyx, corolla, androecium and gynoecium. The
pollen consists of male gametes. At x10 magnification, wall of pollen tube can
be observed. At x40 magnification, generative nucleus, tube nucleus can be
observed. The wall of pollen tube is made up of cellulose. Hibiscus plant is a
hermaphrodite plant as it has both male and female sex organ.
ANATOMY OF FLOWERS

A flower is the reproductive structure of an angiosperm

(flowering plant). Its function is to mediate the fusion of the sperm (male
gamete) and ovule (female gamete) for production of seeds. The arrangement of
flowers in a stalk is called inflorescence.

In flowering plants, the process of reproduction starts with

pollination (transfer of pollen to stigma), followed by fertilization (fusion of
sperm and ovule) and formation of seeds. Some flowers exhibit certain designs
to attract the pollinating agents such as bees and butterflies, in order to
facilitate fertilization. Depending upon the pollinating agent, flowers can be
categorized into anemophilous (pollinated by wind, e.g. grasses), hydrophilous
(pollinated by water, e.g. seagrass) and entomophilous (pollinated by insects,
e.g. orchids). To understand the mechanism of reproduction in plants, let's
take a look at the different parts of a flower.

INTRODUCTION TO HIBISCUS

Hibiscus is a shrub and it belongs to the family Malvaceae.

Morphologically a flower is a modified shoot in which sepals,petals,stamens
and carpels are the successive lateral organs.The Hibiscus flower arise from
the axil of a leaf like structure called the bract.Stalk  of the flower is called
pedicel.The swollen tip of the hibiscus flower is called thalamus on which the
floral parts are arranged.Thalamus has nodes and internodes.A hibiscus flower
can be cut into two equal halves through any plane and they are called
actinomorphic flowers. Hibiscus flower is a bisexual flower as it contains both
male and female reproductive part in the same flower.
 A typical Hibiscus flower has four whorls.They are
calyx,corolla,androecium and gynoecium. Calyx is made up of sepals. There are
five sepals in a Hibiscus flower and they are united to form a cup like
structure. United sepals are called gamosepalous. Calyx protect the flower in
the bud stage.

Corolla is made up of petals. They are five in number and

free.Such free condition is called polypetalous. The petals in Hibiscus are
brightly coloured to attract the insects for pollination.

Androecium is the male reproductive part. Androecium in

Hibiscus consists of anther and filament. Inside the anther they contains
pollengrains which contains the male gametes. They produce numerous
stamens and the filaments of all the stamens are united to form a single
bundle and such a condition is called monadelphous. Upper part of the
filament bearing the anthers is free

Gynoecium is the female reproductive part. It consist of ovary,style

and stigma. Hibiscus flower consist of 5 carpels which are united and is called
syncarpous. The Hibiscus flower is a hypogynous flower as the sepals, petals
and stamens are inserted below the ovary. It is also known as superior ovary.
The ovules are developed on the placenta at the central axis of the septa and it
is called axile placentation
PARTS OF FLOWERS
 A flower can be studied as a modified shoot in which the apical
meristem does not grow continuously, showing determinate growth. In this, the
stem of the flower is the pedicel (flower stalk) and the flower parts are arranged
at the end of the pedicel, also called the torus or receptacle. The four major
parts or whorls of a flower, starting from the base of the receptacle are calyx,
corolla, androecium and gynoecium.

Calyx are the outermost whorl of sepals in a flower, which

protects the flower before it opens. In general, calyx are green in color.
However, in some plant species, they are modified like the color of petals. In
such a case, the sepals are referred to as petaloid sepals. Flowers can be
classified into two types, based on whether the sepals are free or fused. Flowers
with free sepals are called polysepalous flowers; whereas, those with fused
sepals are called gamosepalous flowers.

Corolla represents the whorl of petals. Petals are usually colorful,

and serve the purpose of attracting insects for pollination. Like sepals, petals
can be either free or fused in a flower. Flowers with free petals are called
polypetalous flowers; whereas, gamopetalous flowers have fused petals.

Androecium or the stamen is the male reproductive organ in a

flower. A stamen consists of an anther and a filament. An anther produces and
contains pollens; whereas, the filament is a hair like structure that attaches
the anther to the flower. The pollen contains the male gametes or the sperms.

The female reproductive organ of a flower is called the gynoecium,

which consists of one or more pistils. It is usually located in the center of the
flower. A pistil consists of three structures viz. ovary that produces ovules,
style (a stalk that connects ovary and stigma) and the stigma that receives the
pollen during fertilization.

Flowers are of different types, classified depending upon the

presence or absence of the major parts. A flower consisting of all the four major
parts is called complete flower. If any of the major whorls is lacking, then it is
referred to as an incomplete flower. In addition, a flower having both male and
female organ is called a perfect flower, for e.g. roses, hibiscus; whereas, a
flower with only one reproductive organ is called an imperfect flower, for e.g.
flowers of pumpkin or cucumber plants.
 Different plants produce different types of flowers, which vary in
shape, color, size and location of formation. While some have stems that attach
the flowers to the plants, some others lack this part. The stem that holds the
flower is called a peduncle and if there is no such stem, then such flowers are
called sessile. In some plants, the peduncle carries many flowers and the small
stems that attach such flowers to the peduncle are called pedicel. The terminal
end of the stem that holds a flower is called the torus or receptacle. It is on this
receptacle, that the other parts of a flower are arranged in a series of
concentric circles. As far as reproductive organs are concerned, some flowers
have both male and female reproductive organs, while some other types have
any one of them. You may find some plants with only male or female flowers,
but there are plants which have both. Even though, the parts of a flower and
their arrangement may vary from one plant to another, this article can help
you with information about a basic and typical structural plan of a flower.

There is an outer whorl of small leaf-like structures. These

structures are called sepals, which jointly forms the calyx. So, the whole outer
whorl of sepals is termed as the calyx. Usually, the sepals are green in color,
but, in some plant, sepals are as colorful as petals. Sepals are conspicuous in a
budding flower, as the bud is covered with these structures. The function of
this part of a flower is to protect the flower, when it is in the stage of a bud.

The parts of a flower are arranged on the receptacle in a whorl.

Now, we know that the base of the flower has a whorl of sepals, called the
calyx. Above the calyx, the whorl of petals can be found. Petals are usually
thinner and softer than the sepals and brightly colored. In most plants, petals
are the most attractive part with different colors, shapes and styles. In some
plants, petals are scented too. The main function of the petals is to attract
insects, which are one of the pollinating agents.

Androecium is the male reproductive part of the flower.

Androecium consists of whorls (one or two) of stamen, which in turn are made
of filaments that ends with anthers. Each stamen is made of a slender filament
that supports an anther at the top. It is the pollen sacs in the anther that
produce pollen, which contains the male gametes.

Gynoecium is the female reproductive organ of a flower is termed as

a carpel, which is usually located at the center of the flower. Some plants have
a single carpel, while some others have more than one carpel merged to form a
pistil. A carpel contains an ovary, which carries the ovules or the female
gametes. Apart from the ovary, the carpel has a stigma and the style. While the
style is a tube-like part that raises the stigma from the ovary, stigma is a sticky
part at the end of the style.

Now, you know more about the parts of a flower, which have
distinct functions. Let us take a look at the coordination of these different parts
of a flower, so as to facilitate pollination, fertilization, and fruits and seeds
formation. Petals are attractive with colors and scents. These parts along with
the nectar in some flowers attract insects for pollination (there are various
other pollinating agents, like, wind). When the insects moves by the flower, the
pollen gets stuck to its body and from there to the stigma, which is the sticky
part of the flower's female reproductory organ. The insect may also carry the
pollen to the stigma of another flower. The pollen grains, which get adhered to
the stigma, produces pollen tubes, which carry the male gametes to the ovary
through the style. The male gametes fertilize the ovules or female gametes. The
ovary develops to form the fruits and the fertilized ovules form the seeds. Read
more on:

LIFE CYCLE OF FLOWERING PLANT

 Flowering plants (angiosperms) are included in the vascular
plant division, Anthophyta. Flowers and seed-bearing fruits are their
reproductive organs. Flowers may be bisexual or unisexual depending upon
presence of type of sex organs such as male stamen and female pistil. Species
having separate male and female flowers on the same plant are known as
monoecious, while species having separate female and male flowers on different
plants are called as dioecious. Female pistil consists of style, stigma and ovary
with single or many carpels. Male stamen comprises a pollen-bearing anther
and stalk or filament.

Some major steps in life cycle of a flowering plant are as follows

 A dormant seed lying in the ground requires oxygen, water and warmth
in order to get developed into flowering plant. Some seeds lying in the
ground gets favorable environment and grow into flowering plants,
shrubs or trees.
 When seed gets oxygen, water and warmth, it can begin to germinate.
The first sign of germination is growth of roots down into soil. Following
this, growth of stem starts upwards towards the light.
 Stem continuously grows bigger and bigger and eventually, there is
development of leaves and flowers.
 Mature flower contains the parts that enable the plant to reproduce.
Pollination is a crucial part in reproduction of plant. Pollen are dispersed
through various means such as by insects or wind.
 The next step is fertilization. After landing on a stigma, binucleate pollen
grain germinates and develops a pollen tube. Pollen tube grows down
through style into the ovary. In ovary, it penetrates the ovule through
micropyle (opening in the ovule wall).
 Flowering plants exhibit double fertilization which involves two sperms
from pollen tube. One sperm fuses with egg forming a diploid zygote,
while another combines with two polar nuclei to develop the triploid
endosperm.
 The zygote gets developed into embryo and nutritive tissue surrounding
the embryo is formed from the endosperm. During this process, ovule
increases in size becoming a mature seed. Outer two layers of ovule form
the seed coat.
 The ripened ovary is known as a fruit, which may be dry or fleshy. When
the fruit gets dried and bursts open releasing seeds, they are dispersed
by insects, animals, birds or by wind.
 The fertilized seeds fall on the ground and there is a start of same life
cycle.
POLLINATION
 The pollen grains which produce the male gametes and the
ovules which bear the female gametes are borne on different structures. It
therefore becomes necessary that for sexual union to occur, the pollen grains
must be transferred to the stigma. The transfer and deposition of pollen grains
from the anther to the stigmatic surface of the flower is called pollination.
Pollination is of 2 types
 Self Pollination
 Cross Pollination

Significance of Pollination
Pollination leads to fertilisation, resulting in the production of seeds and fruits,
thus ensuring continuity of life.

Summary of Self and Cross Pollination

Self Pollination
It is the transference of the pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of either
the same or of another flower borne on the same plant.

Autogamy
The pollen grains are transferred from the anther to the stigma of the same
flower. It occurs in bisexual flowers.

Geitonogamy
Flower is pollinated by pollen from another flower on the same plant.
Cross Pollination
It is the transference of the pollen grains from the anther of one flower to the
stigma of another flower borne on a different plant of the same species. It is
also known as allogamy or xenogamy.
Cross pollination requires the help of abiotic or biotic agencies such as wind,
water, insects, birds, bats, snails and other animals.

Anemophily or Wind Pollination

It is the simplest form of pollination, through the agency of wind. The wind
pollinated flowers show the following characteristics.
a) The flowers are unisexual
Example: Poplars
b) Stamens are freely exposed with versatile anthers
Example: Cereals
c) The pollen grains are light, smooth, dry and not easily wetted by rain.
d) The pollen grains are produced in enormous quantities.
Example: A single flower of Cannabis produces over 5,00,000 pollen grains.
e) The stigmas are large, feathery and well exposed to catch the pollen grains.
f) The flowers are small, inconspicuous with no colour, odour or nectar
Examples: Coconut, palm, maize, grasses etc.
Hydrophily or Water Pollination

It is the mode of pollination involving the transfer of pollen grains

through the agency of water. Hydrophily does not occur in all aquatic plants.
Many aquatic plants bear their flowers above the surface of water and are
pollinated by wind or insects.

Hypohydrophily is the true hydrophily and occurs in such plants

where the pollen grains are water borne. In Zostera marina, the pollen grains
are elongated and lack an exine. The pollen grains float below the surface of
water, and on reaching the stigma, coil around it and germinate.
Epihydrophily takes place over the surface of water in plants like Vallisneria.

Pollination in Vallisneria

The plant is dioecious. On maturity the male flowers get detached

from the parent plant and float up and come to the surface of water. At the
same time the female flowers also rise upto the surface of water by
straightening of the coiled stalk. The detached male flowers cluster around a
floating female flower and dehisce thereby performing pollination. Soon after
the pollination, the long stalks of the female flower begin to coil down to bud
level where the fruit ripens.
Entomophily or Insect Pollination

It is the most sure and least wasteful method. Insects, visit the
flowers not to effect pollination but to collect nectar, edible pollen or for shelter.
As the insect visits a flower, its body gets dusted with pollen grains. When the
loaded insect visits another flower, its body brushes against the stigma and
inadvertently transfers the pollen to it bringing about pollination.
E.g., bees, moths, butterflies
Some of the characteristic features of insect pollinated flowers are
 The flowers are large, conspicuous and brightly coloured.
 When flowers are small, they aggregate in the form of inflorescence.
 The flowers have a pleasant fragrance and sweet nectar.
 Pollen grains are usually rough and sticky and often show spinous
outgrowths.

Scanning electron micrograph of pollen grains on the stigma of a flower.The

spiked surface of the grains is typical of insect-pollinated flowers
 The stigma is sticky and rough.
 The pollen are edible in many cases.
Example: Rose and poppy

Ornithophily or Bird Pollination

The common bird pollinators are humming birds, sun - birds and honey -
eaters. Birds can obtain only one staple food from flowers and that is nectar.
The bird pollinated flowers have funnel - shaped or tubular corollas which are
brightly coloured. The floral parts are commonly leathery and they produce
copious amount of nectar and large quantities of pollen which are sticky.
Common bird - pollinated plants are Bombax (red silk cotton), Erythrina (coral
tree) Bigonia, Lobelia, Agave.

Chiropterophily or Bat Pollination

Bats bring about pollination only in the tropics. Bats are nocturnal animals
and the flowers they visit are large and emit a strong odour. They move very
fast and transport pollen to long distances. Bat pollinated flowers generally
produce more nectar than ornithophilous flowers. They also have a large
number of stamens.
Examples:
The Sausage tree - Kigella pinnata
The Baobab tree - Adansonia
Anthocephalus - Kadamb tree

Malacophily or Snail Pollination

Snails perform pollination in cobra plant. Arisaema and some arum bulbs.

Advantages of Cross Pollination

a) It brings about genetic recombination and introduces variation in the
offspring
b) New and improved varieties of plants are produced.
c) The plants are more resistant to diseases.
d) The seeds produced are usually better, larger, healthy and more vigorous
and numerous in number.

Adaptations Promoting Cross-pollination in Nature

Nature has evolved certain methods which self-pollination is prevented and
cross-pollination is favoured. Given below are a few such adaptations.

Unisexuality
If the flowers are unisexual and present on different plants, only cross
pollination is possible.

Dichogamy
In bisexual flowers, anthers and stigma mature at different times.
This prevents self polination.
Example: Sunflower and salvia

Self-sterility
Pollen grains of a flower are not capable of effecting fertilization even if they
reach the stigma of the same flower.
Examples: Potato, tobacco.
This is also known as self-incompatibility.

Heterostyly
In certain plants, 2 or mote types of flowers having different lengths of styles
and stamens are produced. The stigma and stamens are not in the same level,
so that self-pollination is prevented. Example: Primrose

Herkogamy
In some flowers, there are some physical barriers between anther and stigma to
prevent self-pollination. Example: Calotropis
Incompatibility

Incompatibility is the inability of functional male and female gametes to effect

fertilization in certain plants.
Incompatibility may be between 2 different species of the same genus, when it
is called Interspecific incompatibility. If it is within the same species, it is called
Intraspecific incompatibility or self sterility or self - incompatibility.
In the former, fertilization between gametes produced from 2 unrelated plants
is prevented. In the latter, fertilization between gametes produced by the same
plant or by another plant of the same species is prevented.
Intra specific incompatibility is also called self-incompatibility and is reported
in abort 300 species of angiosperms. It may be sporophytic incompatibility (if
incompatibility is due to the genotype of the stigma) or gametophytic
incompatibility (if incompatibility is due to the genetype of the pollen)
Significance of Self-incompatibility
a) Pollen stigma interaction
b) Pollen tube style interaction
c) Pollen tube ovule interaction

In self
Incompatible fruit trees, it is necessary to plant two cross compatible varieties
to ensure fruit formation.

Self
Incompatibility can be used in hybrid seed production.

Development of Male Gametophyte

The germination of the pollen grain starts before it is shed from the anther.
During this process, the nucleus of the pollen grain divides by mitosis into a
vegetative or tube nucleus and a smaller generative nucleus. The pollen grains
are generally transferred to the stigma at this two - celled stage. However in
some plants e.g., cereals, the development continues and the generative cell
forms 2 male gametes before the pollination takes place.
USES OF HIBISCUS FLOWER

There are 5000 varieties in China rose or shoe flower, Hibiscus

(Hibiscus rosa sinensis). There are many uses of hibiscus, including beauty
tips, medicines and dyes. Do you know that some tribes are using this flower
for cancer? Many colors of Hibiscus are available. Of all these white one has
much importance in medicine.

The chemicals in hibiscus flower helps in growth of hair. It reduces dandruff

and makes the hair black.

o The natural oil in this flower acts as a good conditioner

o This flower can be used as natural dye for hair

o The oil in this flower can be applied to the skin of patients who are
suffering from cellulite which makes the skin to glow

o The ash obtained by burning the flower and leaves of this flower
can be applied to eyebrows which glazes them black

o This flower can be used as shoe polish by rubbing it on the shoe

o Hibiscus flower can be used as contraceptive. The oil from this

flower is used for abortion in some tribes in Jamaica.

o Jamaicans use this flower in herbal tea as it contains many

minerals and vitamins

o The juice from these leaves and flowers can regularize the
menstrual cycle

o Ayurveda says the medicine made from its roots can be used as a
prevention of venereal diseases

o According to traditional medicine if we eat the buds of white

hibiscus flowers early in the morning on empty stomach it should
cure all the diseases. We can mix sugar if we are unable to eat
directly.
o This flower improves digestion. Hence raw flowers are eaten by
Hawaiian people, and Chinese eat this flower by making pickle.

o The fiber from this stem is qualitative. This can be used in

manufacturing of clothes, nets and paper.

o The roots of hibiscus are boiled in oil until the water gets
evaporated. Then the oil can be applied to the wounds caused by
cancer. This can be very useful in initial stage of cancer.

o According to the traditional medicine, the flowers of white Hibiscus

can be dried in the shade of neem tree. Then they can be powdered
and it can be used to fight all cancers