Floral morphology

Floral morphology this term did not begin with a sequence of videos on flower structures and functions as YouTube would not load despite a ten minute attempt to load the playlist prior to class. As a back-up plan a floral structures handout had been prepared modeled on the vegetative morphology handout. The return to a walk and talk format provides an opportunity to also continue to prepare the students for the final examination.  Despite Pohnpei being in the grips of a week of sunny, rainless weather, a small patch of heat rain dropped on the class at the start. Magic happens in ethnobotany.


The class began with Volkameria inermis, a plant with clearly visible structures and an inflorescence that is essentially an umble.


The class used magnifying glasses to examine Premna obtusifolia, Ocimum tenuiflorum, and Scaevola taccada, all growing together near the entrance to the college. For each I described the floral structures.


Magnifying glasses are an endless source of entertainment. Adelma strikes a pose, Via-Marie on the left, Michsane on the right, Bredalyn behind Michsane. From the corner I walked north to show the class Heterotis rotundifolia which sheds its petals and stamens upon being disturbed or plucked, leaving only the pistil. We also looked at Hibiscus tiliaceus. Across the road, but too high to examine, was Ipomoea carnea.


Also in this area is Gardenia jasminoides, which happened to have one fading blossom.

Gardenia

Heterotis rotundifolia: Spanish shawl

Taking advantage of recent landscaping work, the class walked west to a line of soursop trees.

Annona muricata: soursop

An unusual inflorescence with thick outer sepals and thick inner petals


The class then headed back south onto the center of the campus.

A variety of Ixora

The class then moved up to the learning resource center which has spider lilies along the front, permitting the introduction of "tepals" to the class.

Hymenocallis littoralis

The class wrapped up at the Gardenia taitensis behind the faculty office, we were fortunate to find a single blossom.





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