Malvaceae

by Siddharth Sanghvi

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The mucilage is present in various plant organs like flower, fruit. Stellate (star shaped) hairs are present on the shoot, leaf.

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(A) Floral characters :-

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(A) Floral characters :- (i) Inflorescence:- Cymose or solitary - solitary axillary or solitary terminal. (ii) Flower:- Bracteate, bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous and pentamerous.

Whorl of bracteoles in Malvaceae family flowers. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.

Epicalyx:-  3-7; free and green in colour. They are the transformed bracteole. Valvate aestivation.

Calyx: sepals 5, gamosepalous, valvate aestivation. In some of the plants persistant calyx are present, it means they are present on fruit eg. Abelmoschus (Bhindi) and Gossypium (Cotton).

(v) Corolla:- Petals 5, polypetalous, twisted aestivation, mucilagenous and attractive.

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Petals

Petals with purple claws at Base

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Androecium :- Stamens infinite, monoadelphous means filaments united together in one bundle and anthers remain free.

epipetalous

• Anthers kidney shaped, Monothecous • The filaments are united together to form a long staminal canal or staminal tube around style. Staminal tube is united with the petals at the base of the flower, so stamens are epipetalous.

staminal  tube

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staminal  tube

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Gynoecium:- Pentacarpellary or polycarpellary, syncarpous but stigma's are free, so gynoecium is incompletely syncarpous. The number of locules are equal to the number of carpels, so ovary is pentalocular or multilocular.

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Gynoecium:- Pentacarpellary or polycarpellary, syncarpous but stigma's are free, so gynoecium is incompletely syncarpous. The number of locules are equal to the number of carpels, so ovary is pentalocular or multilocular.

Parts of a Hibiscus Flower

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The ovary and style are enclosed in staminal tube but stigma remains outside. Axile placentation

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Fruit:- Capsule e.g. Lady finger, Cotton. (ix) Seeds :- Non endospermic

Floral formula :-

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Economic importance: (i) As food:- •Okra/bhindi (Lady finger) Abelmoschus esculentus or Hibiscus esculentus used as vegetable. As oils :- • The seeds of Gossypium are used for obtaining oil which is hydrogenated to prepare vegetable ghee.

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(iii) As fibres:- Most of the economically important fibre Yielding plants belong to the family malvacea (a)Surface fibres: These fibres are obtained from the surface of the seeds.Cotton = Gossypium. Soft fibres or Bast fibres :- (a) Patua = Hibiscus sabdariffa (Rosella hemp) (b) Patsan (Deccan hemp] = Hibiscus cannabinus

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(iv) As timber: (a) Ochroma lagopus = Balsa wood, lightest wood (b) Malva sylvestris = Mallow wood (vi) As ornamental plants : (a) China rose [Shoeflower] = Hibiscus rosa-sinensis - Red shoes polish is obtained from the petals of this flower. (b) Holly hock [Gul- e - khera] = Althaea rosea (Blue colour is obtained from its leaves)

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As source of vitamins: Gossypium seeds are rich in vitamin A, D, E, and B- complex.

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