FLOWERS IN PHARMACOGNOSY

The term flower is used in a collective sense for commercial purposes and the

sample includes· not only the flowers but also a number of inflorescences. In

some cases, the sample may not contain a whole flower or inflorescence but only

a part of the flower.

Macroscopical characters of flowers

The flower is a modified shoot, bearing reproductive organs in a compactly

arranged structure. A typical flower consists of four floral Parts;

Two lower accessory parts,· the calyx and the Corolla and two upper essential

parts of reproductive organs, the androecium (male) and the gynoecium or pistil

(female). All these four parts are composed of a number of individual units.

The units of the calyx are called the sepals, those of the Corolla, the petals,

those of the androecium, stamens and those of the gynoecium, the carpels.

Each stamen is differentiated into a filament (the stalk) and an anther (the

pollen-bearing sac), and the pistil is differentiated into an ovary (the Iower

swollen part containing the ovules), a style (the elongated tube) and a stigma

(the elongated tube) and a stigma (the expanded or modified tip of the

style). All the four parts develop in ascending order on the swollen end (the

thalamus or receptacle or torus) of the floral axis or stalk, the pedicel. Figure

---- shows the various parts of a flower.

Flowers develop on the stem either single (solitary flowers) or collectively. i.e.,

in clusters. The branch or branch system that bears a collection of flowers is

called in inflorescence. The inflorescence may be terminal or axillary in position.

The main axis of the inflorescence, called the peduncle, may be of indefinite

growth producing flowers laterally, and such inflorescence is called racemose, or

it may cease to grow indefinitely ending in a terminal flower and producing

lateral branches below the terminal flower. These lateral branches also

terminate in a flower and produce lateral branches like the main axis and the
process is repeated. This type of inflorescence is called cymose inflorescence.

Each of these two main types of inflorescences has a number of different types

depending on the type of branching and arrangement of flowers

Fig. --- : Parts of a typical flower,

EXTERNAL CHARACTERS OF THE FLOWERS

The external characters of the flowers are those of the floral parts, the

thalamus and the pedicel. The epidermises of the sepals closely resemble those

of the leaves and stems of the same plant. The external characters of the

sepals also include the stomata and trichomes as those of the leaves.

The upper epidermis of the petals is frequently papillose, a condition that gives

them a velvety appearance. The papillae of the petals constitute a very useful

diagnostic character of flowers. The epidermal cells of the petals usually

glands and trichomes are also present on the petals.

The pedicel often bears both covering and glandular trichomes, which

sometimes offer important characters for the identification of flower drugs.

MICROSCOPICAL CHARACTERS OF FLOWERS

The microscopical / anatomical (histological) characters of flowers are of great

significance in the study of flower drugs.

The sepals possess two (upper and lower or outer and inner) epidermises like the

leaves and the epidermal cells also resemble those of the leaves or stems.

Stomata and trichomes (both clothing and glandular) are frequently present.

The mesophyll of the sepals resembles. the spongy tissue of the leaves and most

of them contain chloroplasts.

The petals also have two epidermises. The upper or inner epidermis is

frequently papillose while the lower or outer one is without papillae but often

contains stomata. Their mesophyll is thin and consists of 3 to 4 rows of cells

with large intercellular spaces.

Typical glands and trichomes are common on the petals. The narrow veins

consist of very narrow spiral vessels.

The anther walls show the characteristic fibrous layer or endothelium, which

consists of parenchymatous cells, each containing a spiral band of lignified

thickening.

The size, shape, sculpturing and markings of the pollen grains are characteristic

of different flowers. The form, size and arrangement of the papillae of the

stigma also vary from flower to flower and often serve as useful histological

characters for the identification of some flowers.

Flower drugs may consist of flower buds, e.g. Cloves, or inflorescences such as

Convallaria, Chamomile, Arnica, or individual flowers, e.g., Pyrethrum, Santonica,

and stamens).

There are a large pharmaceutically and number of flowers, which constitute

commercially useful drugs.

Flower bud

10–20mm long,

bright reddish-brown to dark brown;

lower part (the hypanthium) solid, cylindrical, somewhat flattened, 4-sided,

tapering towards the base and bearing at the apex 4 thick, triangular, divergent

sepals,

alternating with 4 rounded, fragile, unexpanded, membranous, imbricated

petals forming a pale, nearly spherical head that encloses numerous stamens,

curved inward and inserted on a small disc, and a stiff, slender, erect, single

style arising from a depression in the centre.

Externally wrinkled;

Internally ,hypanthium contains in its upper portion a 2-celled inferior ovary

with numerous

ovules attached to the axile placenta; has very large outer zone with numerous

shining, oval oil glands near the periphery, numerous vascular bundles I the

centre and a dark, lacunose layer abutting on the central zone and columella

Microscopic characteristics

Hypanthium epidermis of small, thick-walled isodiametric cells with very thick

cuticle, with stomata with no special subsidiary cells.

Parenchymatous layer containing numerous large (up to about 200mm long), oval,

radially elongated, schizo-lysigenous oil glands, arranged in 2 or 3 more or less

intermixed layers.
Layer of parenchyma and collenchyma containing clusters of calcium oxalate

crystals, and traversed by small, irregularly arranged vascular bundles

consisting of delicate, spiral vessels (up to 20mm in diameter), usually

accompanied

by isolated fusiform, pericyclic fibres (200–650mm long and up to 40mm in

diameter), having strongly thickened lignified walls. Lacunous layer formed of

thin-walled parenchyma. The columella consists of a parenchymatous strand with

numerous closely arranged, small vascular bundles. Sepals, with epidermis

resembling that of hypanthium and having numerous stomata on outer surface;

mesophyll with rounded or stellate cells, numerous ovoid oil glands and clusters

of calcium oxalate crystals, and traversed by a few slender vascular bundles.

Petals, with epidermis formed of cells with straight, thin walls; stomata, absent;

mesophyll, undifferentiated, containing oil glands and cells with clusters of

calcium oxalate crystals, and traversed by small vascular bundles. Stamens, with

filaments having a central vascular strand and oil glands beneath the epidermis;

connective tissue, with a large oil gland in the apex of

anther walls, with fibrous layer and minute clusters of calcium oxalate crystals

along the line of dehiscence. Pollen grains, triangular, tricolpate, 10–20mm in

diameter. Style, with epidermis similar to that of hypanthium, and consisting of

small collenchyma cells, with clusters of calcium oxalate crystals, radially

elongated oil glands, and traversed by 2 narrow vascular strands (1).