An important role in the structure of the flower of a plant is played by the receptacle, the functions of which are to create a reliable support for other parts of the flower.
General structure of a flower
The flower is a modified shoot, limited in growth and performing the functions of forming stamens and forming seeds and fruits.
The flower is located on the main or side stem, the part of the stem under it is called the pedicel. Further, it passes into the axis, which is called the receptacle. All other parts of the flower are placed on it: sepals, petals, pistils and stamens, inside which are pollen sacs and ovules.
The sepals and petals form a perianth, inside of which there are stamens and pistils. Most plants have both pistils and stamens. Such plants are called bisexual. But there are plants with same-sex flowers. Also, male and female flowers can be located both on the same plant and on different ones.
The concept of "receptacle"
Now let's go directly to the topic of the publication and give a definition of the concept. The receptacle is the expanded upper part of the peduncle. From this part depart the rest, as mentioned above. It has a stem, unlike other parts,origin.
In other words, the receptacle is the axial part that takes part in the formation of flowers.
The flower is the top of the stem, on which other elements of leaf origin develop. Internodes between these elements are usually kept to a minimum. Therefore, this axis is very short.
Some say that the receptacle is a "flower bottom", or they call it a "torus". It is slightly wider than the pedicel and can take various shapes: elongated, convex, flat, concave, cone-shaped, goblet.
Features of the receptacle of different plants
The shape of the axial part can become more complicated. Due to the growth of intermediate tissues that are below the top, outgrowths of the receptacle are formed. They can be of various shapes and have an interesting name "piece of iron". They can grow together with each other, and also form closed outgrowths, similar to rings. In this case, they are called disks.
Also, in the future, the goblet receptacle can become more complicated, growing together with the walls of the ovary, to which it is closely adjacent. In this case, there will be no ovary in the flower itself; it is located below and forms one whole with the axial part. It also seems that the rest of the flower elements are attached to the top of the ovary, in this case called the bottom. Examples of plants with this type of arrangement of elements are cucumber, sunflower and apple tree. Their flowers fall from fruits that are formed from the ovary.
It was said above thataxis internodes are minimal, but sometimes they can develop quite strongly. In some plants of the clove family (for example, in the dawn), an internode has developed between the corolla and the calyx. In some of the caper family - between pistils and stamens. This family also develops an androphore - an internode of corolla petals and stamens.
Some plants have a carpophore - an elongated receptacle that raises it above the perianth when the fruit ripens.
Chamomile receptacle
Chamomile is one of the most useful plants. There are many types of chamomile, but the most famous is chamomile, or medicinal chamomile.
Some of its morphological features help distinguish this species from others. One of these features is the axial part. Chamomile receptacle naked, hollow inside.
As soon as flowering begins, it has a hemispherical shape, and at the end of flowering and when fruits appear, it changes to an elongated and narrow-conical one.
Thus, the receptacle is the part without which the formation of a flower is impossible, and later the fruit.
