Question

What is a zygomorphic flower? Give example.

Answer 1

Hint: Flowers are the colorful part of the plant which consists of the reproductive parts. The calyx, corolla, androecium and gynoecium are the most common parts of the plant. After the reproduction, the parts of the flower get converted into the fruit.

Complete answer:
On the basis of the separation of the floral parts, floral symmetry is classified. According to the symmetry, the flowers are classified into three types as actinomorphic flowers, zygomorphic flowers and the asymmetrical flowers. The flowers that can be divided into two equally separated mirror halves that are done on the same plane is called a zygomorphic flower.

The examples of the zygomorphic flowers are orchids, the plants belong to the family Lamiales, the flowers belong to the family of fabaceae or the leguminosae. The plants like green pea, soybean, lentil, beans, chickpea, pigeon pea, mung bean, peanut etc. belong to the family fabaceae having zygomorphic symmetry. The cassia, snapdragon etc. also have this zygomorphic symmetry with the imbricate aestivation. These are bilaterally symmetrical in nature.

Additional information: The actinomorphic flowers can be divided into two identical equal halves in the two or more planes. These are radially symmetrical in nature. The example for the actinomorphic flowers is lily, butter cup, ranunculus etc. The asymmetric flowers are the flowers that cannot be divided into any equal halves. The example for this asymmetry is valeriana officinalis, canna indica etc.

Note: The zygomorphic flowers are also called as the irregular flowers and the actinomorphic flowers are considered as the regular flowers. Most of the actinomorphic flowers have the corolla arranged in the round shape but in case of zygomorphic it is not round.