aestivation of sepals
Aestivation is the manner the five different sepals of Antirrhinum
majus overlap. The sepals are enumerated from 1 to five beginning
with the left sepal on lower side of the flower and numbering 2 the sepal
most close to the stem. This second sepal is overlapped in most cases by
the next (lateral) sepals. Those in turn either overlap or are overlapped
by the next two sepals, giving a total of eight different possibilities of
aestivation. The following diagrams A to H show chematically the eight
different aestivation patterns:
A single inflorescence of Antirrhinum majus may contain different
aestivation patterns. In Klemm M.
1927 the aestivation of three
inflorescences (of "normal" genotype) is given starting from the first
(lowermost) flower:
BBCBEDH
CEAFAAAAGAGAAAA
HHHDHBBHHH
Further statistical investigation is needed to determine whether the
aestivation can be considered completely random or dependent on genotype
and/or environment.
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This page has last been modified on August 27, 1997.
