Botany and Plant Science

The Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is the national flower of India. It is a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India.

Stomata are the microscopic pores found in the epidermis of leaves and other green aerial parts of plants. They are primarily responsible for gas exchange and transpiration.

Rafflesia arnoldii is widely recognized as the world's largest individual flower, known for its massive size and distinct smell.

The exine (outer wall) of a pollen grain is composed of sporopollenin, which is highly resistant to degradation.

Oxalis and Viola are classic examples of plants that produce both chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers.

In grasses, the awn is an extension of the midrib of the lemma.

In Hibiscus (Malvaceae), the filaments of the stamens fuse to form a staminal tube that surrounds the style and the ovary.

A gametophyte develops within a spore. For example, the female gametophyte of Selaginella is contained within the megaspore and at maturity, only a portion, bearing the archegonia, is exposed through the spore wall. Such gametophytes are better able to withstand dry conditions and this pattern of development may be seen as a step in the evolution of the seed habit.

Secondary protonema develops from any cell of injured part of gametophore. This develops lateral bud which grows into leafy gametophore.

Rhizophore in selaginella resembles stem in having mesarch xylem.

Selaginella rupestris, the northern selaginellla or rock spike-moss, is a species of spike-moss. It has only one functional megaspore.

A male cone consists of a cone axis around which are present about 60-135 microsporophylls. Male cone is homologous to male flower of angiosperms.

The germination in Selaginella is precocious; meaning germination starts within the microsporangium.

Siphonogamy is a condition in plants in which pollen tubes are developed for the transfer of the male cells to the eggs. This is characteristic of phanerogams.