Question

Oblique ovary is found in
(a) Liliaceae
(b) Liliaceae
(c) Solanaceae
(d) Asteraceae

Answer 1

Hint: Oblique ovary is a characteristic of the family of flowering plants that range from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and ornamentals, etc. Many members of the family contain potent alkaloids, and some are highly toxic, but many including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell, and chili peppers are used as food.

Complete answer:
In Solanaceae, the arrangement of carpels is peculiar. The posterior carpel is tilted towards the right and the anterior one is tilted to the other end and so the septum occupies an oblique position, whereas, in normal condition, it occupies the horizontal position. So it is often described as an obliquely zygomorphic flower.

The Solanaceae is a fairly large family having about 85 genera. They are mostly shrubs, herbs, or small trees. The inflorescence is cyme or cymose panicle. The flower is bisexual, regular, rarely zygomorphic, hypogynous. The Solanaceae is an economically important family of flowering plants which includes many crops that are used as vegetables. Tobacco is an important plant cultivated for commercial use of tobacco. Leaves are variously used for stimulation and contain nicotine. Poisonous alkaloids are produced from Stramonine.

Additional Information:
- Sepals 5, persistent, become enlarged in fruit. Petals 5, Gamopetalous connate in a rotate, funnel-shaped, or bell-shaped corolla; imbricate sometimes plicate or convolute.
- Stamens 5, alternate with corolla lobes, free epipetalous, anthers with apical porous or longitudinal dehiscence.
- Carpels 2, syncarpous, obliquely placed, ovary 2-chambered, or more.
So, the correct answer is ‘(c) Solanaceae’.

Note:
- Gynoecium is bicarpellary syncarpous. The ovary is superior with a terminal style that ends in a capitate stigma.
- The anatropous ovules are arranged on swollen, Axile placentas of the bilocular ovary that may be rendered tetralocular by the formation of a false septum.
- Dye to the imperfect development of the cross wall in capsicum, the ovary is unilocular in the upper part.