Ques. 1NEET 2013 (Karnataka)
Among flowers of Calotropis, tulip, Sesbania, Asparagus, Colchicum, sweet pea, Petunia, Indigofera, mustard, soybean, tobacco and groundnut, how many plants have corolla with valvate aestivation?
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Five
Answer
(2) Seven
Solution
As per NCERT, in valvate aestivation the sepals or petals in a whorl just touch one another at the margin without overlapping, as in Calotropis.
Tulip, Asparagus and Colchicum (Liliaceae) have a perianth with valvate aestivation, Petunia and tobacco (Solanaceae) have a corolla with valvate aestivation, and mustard (Brassicaceae) is also valvate.
Sesbania, sweet pea, Indigofera, soybean and groundnut belong to Fabaceae, so they show vexillary aestivation instead.
∴ Plants with valvate aestivation = 1 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 7.
Answer: (2)