A pentacarpellary, syncarpous, with a superior ovary G (5) which indicates that the gynoecium (represented by the letter G) is composed of five carpels (pentacarpellary-represented by the number 5), the carpels are united (syncarpous-represented by the brackets), and the gynoecium is hypogynous.
When the carpels are separated from one another, this is referred to as apocarpous (no brackets). It is in the inferior ovary (where the line will be located above G) that all of the floral whorls emerge from above the ovary and the gynoecium is classified as epigynous.
If the carpels are free in a polycarpellary gynoecium, the ovary is referred to as an apocarpous ovary. Examples: Strawberry and Buttercup are two of my favourite fruits.
The Dimensions and Distribution
The family contains roughly 25 genera and nearly 1500 species, all of which are found around the world, including in tropical and temperate climates. The Malvaceae family has 22 genera and over 125 species in India alone, making it the largest representation in the world.
Description of the Family’s Habitat
The majority of members are terrestrial mesophytes.
- A taproot system with several branchings is typical of this species’ root system.
- Stem: aerial, branching, erect, herbaceous, cylindrical, and woody, with young portions covered with satellite hairs or trichomes; young portions covered with satellite hairs or trichomes. Typically, the stem is fibrous and contains a large amount of mucilaginous sap.
- Simply divided leaves are alternate, petiolate, stipulate, cordate or ovate. Leaves are typically lobed palmately and alternately arranged. The edge is either whole or serrate, and the venation is either unicostate or multicostate pinnately reticulate in appearance. Stellate hair on the surface of the leaves, with mucilaginous ducts visible, covers the majority of the leaf surface.
- A raceme or a cymose inflorescence is found in the leaf axil of the leaf axils of the plant.
- Blooming flower: a bracteate or bracteolate bloom, actinomorphic in appearance, dichlamydeous, complete, pedicellate, heterochlamydeous bisexual, pentamerous, and hypogynous bloom, and mucilage in floral structures.
- Calyx: green, usually with 5 sepals, gamosepalous with valvate aestivation, and the odd sepal is positioned posteriorly in the arrangement.
- Epicalyx: a whorl of bracteoles on the surface of the calyx that forms an extra calyx-like whorl. To the outer calyx, there are 5-8 bracteoles that are free and green. The number of bracteoles differs from species to species.
- Flowers: Petals 5, with a polypetalous bust basally adnate to the staminal column, differently coloured, twisted aestivation at the base of the staminal column.
- Androecium: number of stamens, monadelphous, filaments fuse to form a tubular staminal column around the gynoecium, anthers reniform, monothecous, extrorse dehiscing transversally or longitudinally
- Gynoecium: lengthy and simple in design, slim in appearance as it passes through the staminal tube. Stigma 5, coloured and capitate, pentacarpellary syncarpous, ovary superior, ovary pentalocular with several oculi per locule on the axile placentation, pentacarpellary syncarpous, ovary superior, ovary pentalocular with several oculi per locul. Styles are divided into many stigmata or twice as many as carpels are divided into stigmata.
- Fruit: Most of it is abortive. The majority of the members of this family produce capsules, some of which are loculicidal, and others that are not.
- Seeds: exalbuminous, with a bent embryo, one or more seeds per locule, one or more seeds per locule
- Pollination: Members of this family mostly display entomophilous pollination, with vividly coloured flowers and extrafloral nectaries as a result of entomophilous pollination.
Conclusion
Therefore, Malva, Althaea, and a few other annuals and perennial herbs grow quite tall (Malva, Althaea, and a few others) (Lavatera). Some of them are shrubs, such as Hibiscus rosa sinensis and Gossypium species, while others are tiny trees, such as Kydia and Thespesia populnea, which are native to the United States.