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YOUR DAILY DOSE OF BOTANY – OCTOBER 2012

 

Flower Symmetry

by Scott Namestnik, snamestnik@orbisec.com

Last month in Your Daily Dose of Botany, I mentioned that the disc florets of composites are radially symmetrical.  Another name for this floral morphology structure is “actinomorphic.”  Many plant species have flowers that can be described as actinomorphic.  If you could cut the flower in half in two or more planes and have identical-looking halves, you have an actinomorphic flower. As an example, think of a rose as a plant with actinomorphic flowers.

 

An actinomorphic flower of pasture rose (Rosa carolina); cutting the flower in half in any of the directions shown results in identical halves.
An actinomorphic flower of pasture rose (Rosa carolina); cutting the flower in half in any of the directions results in identical halves.

So, if many plant species have actinomorphic flowers, what do the rest have?  If a flower can only result in identical halves if it is cut in one specific plane, and cutting the flower in half in other planes does not result in identical halves, the flower is said to be zygomorphic, or bilaterally symmetric.  Orchids, for example, have zygomorphic flowers.

Although there is unimaginable diversity in the shape, color, and structure of flowers, all flowers can be described as either actinomorphic or zygomorphic.  Watch for the different symmetries in flowers the next time you’re out on a hike.

 

A zygomorphic flower of small purple fringed orchid (Platanthera psycodes); identical halves only result when this flower is cut in the single direction shown.
A zygomorphic flower of small purple fringed orchid (Platanthera psycodes); identical halves only result when this flower is cut in a single direction.

If you have a question about plant terminology or morphology that you would like answered in a future edition of this column, send me an email at snamestnik@orbisec.com. I may not be able to address all requests given the space allotted for this column, but I will answer those that I can.

Click here to see more of Scott’s informative work

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Tessa M. Aby-Kruger

Botanist

Tessa is a geologist, botanist and vegetation ecologist with over 10 years of experience managing and conducting projects, specializing in ecological and floristic inventories, rare plant surveys, and vegetation monitoring. She also performs wetland evaluations and is a guided hike leader.

Jeremy Sheets

Senior Wildlife Biologist, Vice President

Jeremy is a founding member of Orbis and directs its ecological and wildlife surveys, assessment and planning services, and brings over 20 years’ experience conducting various wildlife surveys with a focus on bat ecology and urban wildlife management.


Jeremy has managed wildlife projects for private firms and the public sector including for wind facilities, pipelines, roadways, military bases, and airports. Jeremy is proficient in wildlife management/control techniques, wildlife identification, threatened and endangered species, and surveying and analysis techniques for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects. Jeremy is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Qualified Airport Wildlife Biologists who develop Wildlife Hazard Assessments (WHA) and Wildlife Hazard Management Plans (WHMP) for airports. Jeremy is qualified to inspect erosion, sediment and stormwater plans, and their implementation. Furthermore, Jeremy is federally permitted to conduct endangered bat surveys in USFWS Regions 3, 4, 5, and 6 and includes acoustic surveys, mist-netting, and radio telemetry.

J Ryan Duddleson​

Senior Archaeologist, Principal

Ryan is a founding member of Orbis and directs its cultural resource management services, and brings over 20 years’ experience helping clients assess and minimize the risk of impacting places with cultural value.


Ryan works with public sector clients including federal, state, and municipal government, as well as private firms in energy, transportation, industrial, and development sectors. He also coordinates with agencies and consulting parties involved with the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and other related cultural resource laws and regulations. He performs archival research, analysis, and excavation. Ryan also has experience in artifact and archival curation. He has applied innovative techniques to traditional artifact analysis, such as examining organic residues from prehistoric pottery to determine prior contents. Ryan also has experience with human remains in archaeological settings. Ryan meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation, 48 FR. 44716 and is a Qualified Professional Archaeologist in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.