Question

Capitulum inflorescence is seen in
A) Cruciferae
B) Liliaceae
C) Compositae
D) Solanaceae

Answer 1

Hint: Capitulum inflorescence is present in the largest family of flowering plants.

Complete answer:

Fig. Capitulum

A capitulum or head is the characteristic inflorescence of the sunflower family Compositae or Asteraceae. The inflorescence mainly consists of ray flowers, disk flowers, or both ray and disk flowers. The ovary of each flower is present below the attachment of the corolla and stamens, and it is called epigynous or inferior ovary. The peduncle is almost flattened to form a receptacle that bears the small sessile flowers called florets. The florets arranged at the periphery side of the receptacle are called ray florets, and which are arranged at the centre side are called disc florets. Ray florets are zygomorphic and female while disc florets are actinomorphic and bisexual.The florets are arranged in a centripetal fashion. The inflorescence is seen as clustering of small flowers, to form a single flower. It is surrounded by one or more whorls of bracts called involucre.
Example: Tagetes, Zinnia, Sunflower (Helianthus annuus), Cosmos, Chrysanthemum, Sonchus.
Solitary inflorescence is present in the Malvaceae family, cymose inflorescence is present in the Solanaceae family and the raceme inflorescence is present in the Cruciferae family.

So, the correct answer is Compositae.

Note: Peduncle gets flattened out at the apex into a platform-like structure, called receptacle. Centripetal arrangement means younger towards the centre and older towards the periphery.