Practical 4

IDENTIFICATION OF MAJOR FLOWER

CROPS OF OUR COUNTRY
Introduction :

Different flowers and plants are identified based upon the knowledge of morphology
and anatomy. For describing flower crops, every part of it is to be studied in detail and
compared with similar structures of other plant. Every plant part has a name and its
study is called as Phytography. It is a branch of taxonomy or plant systematic. It deals
with the descriptions of plants and their organs (parts). The main plant parts used for
description of flowering plants are given below:

• Roots (position and morphology)

• Stem (Branching pattern, texture, shape, bark-surface, form, modifications,

etc.)

• Buds (position, protectiveness, time of sprouting, etc.)

• Foliage (Leaf-simple/ compound, insertion, arrangement, parts, stalk, base,

apex, shape, serration/ margins, incision, venation, surface/ texture, sap,
duration, etc.)

• Inflorescence (type, size and number of flowers, duration, etc.)

• Flowers (shape, symmetry, completeness, parts, arrangement, insertion, union

of floral parts, calyx- sepals, corolla- petals/ tepals, colour, shape, size,
androecium- stamens, anthers, gynoecium- stigma, style, ovary, fragrance,
duration, etc.)

• Fruits (type, shape, size, colour, fragrance, duration, etc.)

• Ovule/ Seed (shape, size, colour, number, duration, etc.)

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 EXERCISE 4.1: IDENTIFICATION OF
MAJOR CUT FLOWER CROPS
Objective :
• To identify various cut flower crops based on primary morphological
characters.

Delivery schedule : 1 period

Student's expectations/ Learning objectives:

• To get acquaint with different cut flower crops grown in India

Pre-learning required : Knowledge about various cut flowers.

Handouts/material required/equipment's & tools: Flower crops, hand lens and standard
encyclopedia and books on Floriculture

Introduction:
When flowers are harvested with long stem usually containing few or many leaves
for various uses indoor and outdoor are called as cut flowers. The main cut flower
crops grown in India are given below:

Description of cut flower Photograph

Alstroemeria pelegrina (Alstroemeria)

Family: Alstroemeriaceae

It is a perennial, rhizomatous bulbous cut flower

crop growing to over one meter. Shoots are leafy, light
green and flowers borne in spike having 4 to 12 florets
of various colours.

Anthurium andreanum (Anthurium)

Family: Araceae

Anthurium is a tropical cut flower, having dark

green shining heart shaped foliage and brightly, heart
shaped spathe of various colours.
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Cymbidium spp. (Cymbidium)

Family: Orchidaceae

Cymbidium is the most popular genus grown for

cut flowers. Plants are evergreen with fleshy roots and
short pseudo-bulbs enclosed with linear leaves.
Inflorescence is erect or pendulous, bearing long lasting
flowers of varied colours. Lip is 3-lobed. Column is
boat shaped.

Dendranthema grandiflora (Chrysanthemum)

Family: Asteraceae

Plants are semi-woody, perennial, leaves single,

serrated, dark green and inflorescence capitulum having
two types of florets (tubular and ray), varied flower
form in different colours.

Dendrobium spp. (Dendrobium)

Family: Orchidaceae

Dendrobium is the second largest genus, but very

popular cut flower after Cymbidium. Stem is elongate
or with pseudo-bulbs. Leaves are one to several.
Inflorescence is terminal or lateral with one to many
flowers of varied colours.

Dianthus caryophylus (Carnation)

Family: Caryophylaceae

Plants are herbaceous, perennial, stem with swollen

nodes, leaves thick, dark green grass like and flowers
with smooth or fringed petals of various colours.

Gerbera jamesonii (Gerbera)

Family: Asteraceae

Plants are almost without stem, tender perennial

herb. Leaves radical, with petiole, deeply lobed and
dark green. Flower heads solitary, many flowered, daisy 67
like in almost every colour.
 Gladiolus x gandavensis (Gladiolus)

Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus leaves resemble sword and 6-8 number.

Flowers called as florets are borne in spike. Florets
open acropetally and are of almost all colours. Under
ground plant-part is called as corm, which distinct
nodes and internodes and covered with thin papery
covering.

Heliconia angustifolia (Heliconia)

Family: Musaceae

Dwarf plantain like plants with colourful foliage.

Boat shaped bracts look very ornamental and available
in red, yellow and orange colours.

Lilium spp. (Asiatic Lilium)

Family: Liliaceae

Leaves are mostly shining and upward growing.

Flowers are mostly dark coloured and with no or slight
fragrance. Flowering is for extended period. Bulbs are
almost white and small size.

Lilium spp. (Oriental Lilium)

Family: Liliaceae

Leaves are less or no shining, broad shaped and

growing almost parallel to ground. Flowers are mostly
white or pink coloured with high fragrance. Flowering
occurs during late autumn. Bulbs are yellowish tinged
and of large size.
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Narcissus pseudonarcissus (Daffodil)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Plants perennial, leaves linear and dark green.

Flowers are borne on long stalk. Narrow perianth tube
with six segments mainly of creamish white colour and a
cup shaped corona in the centre of yellow, orange colour.

Polianthes tuberosa (Tuberose)

Family: Agavaceae

Plants are leafy with long narrow, linear, grass

like and mostly prickly. Flowering stalk called spike
has single, semi-double and double flowers, creamy-
white, tubular and highly fragrant.

Ranunculus asiaticus (Ranunculus)

Family: Ranunculaceae

Plants are dwarf with finely cut dark green foliage.

Flowers are turban shaped double in almost red, yellow,
orange, white and scarlet colours. Tubers have claw
shaped 3-5 flangs in dusty brown colour.

Rosa hybrida (Rose)

Family: Rosaceae

Plants are erect to climbing, stem prickly, leaves

oddly pinnate and prickly. Flowers in cut flower
varieties are many and almost all colours.

Strelitzia reginae (Bird of Paradise)

Family: Strelitziaceae

Plants are perennial, herbaceous, thick stalked dark

green foliage and long contractile roots. Flowers are
yellow-orange with violet-blue centre and with flying
bird shaped. 69
 Tulipa spp. (Tulip)

Family: Liliaceae

Plants have 3-4 strapped shape to lanceolate green

leaves. Flowers are solitary having six to many tepals
borne on a scape in almost every colour.

Exercise: Visit the commercial Floriculture farms/ nurseries/ Florist shops and identify
different cut flowers being grown or sold based upon their distinguishable
morphological characters.

EXERCISE 4.2:
IDENTIFICATION OF MAJOR
LOOSE FLOWER CROPS

Objective :

• To identify various loose flower crops based on primary morphological

characters.

Delivery schedule : 1 period

Student's expectations/ Learning objectives:

• To get acquaint with different loose flower crops grown in India

Pre-learning required : Knowledge about various loose flowers.

Handouts/material required/equipment's & tools: Flower crops, hand lens and standard
encyclopedia and books on Floriculture

Introduction:

When flowers are harvested without stem usually with small or no petiole for
various religious and social functions are called as loose flowers. The loose flowers
are used to offer in temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras, making garlands,
veni, gajra, corsage, etc. The main loose flower crops grown in India are given
70 below:
Loose flower crop Photograph

Callistephus chinensis (China aster)

Family: Asteraceae

Plants are herbaceous, annual. Leaves are simple,

serrated and light green. Flowers are single to double
and in pink, purple, red, yellow and white colours

Chrysanthemum spp. (Annual chrysanthemum)

Family: Asteraceae

Plants are herbaceous with semi-woody base,

annual, leaves simple, serrated/ lobed and flowers
mainly in white and yellow tinge.

Crossandra undulaefolia (Crossandra)

Family: Acanthaceae

Dwarf evergreen shrub growing to two feet. Flowers

are yellow to orange borne in dense bracted spikes.

Dendranthema grandiflora (Chrysanthemum)

Family: Asteraceae

Plants are semi-woody, perennial, leaves single,

serrated, dark green and inflorescence capitulum having
two types of florets (tubular and ray), globular to
decorative flower form and mainly in white and yellow
colours.

Jasminum sambac (Arabian Jasmine)

Family: Oleaceae

Plants are bushy to climbing. Leaves are sessile,

opposite and light green. Flowers are single to double
form, white and borne in clusters of 3-12 per cluster.
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 Nelumbo nucifera (Lotus)

Family: Nymphaeaceae

Plants are growing in ponds. Leaves are

overtopping. Flowers are pink to red about 20-30 cm
across growing above water.

Nerium indicum (Red kaner)

Family: Oleaceae

Plants are tall, multi-branched, erect growing.

Leaves are simple, thick, dark green and shining.
Flowers are single to double borne in corymbs in pink,
white and red colours

Polianthes tuberosa (Tuberose)

Family: Agavaceae

Plants are leafy with long narrow, linear, grass

like and mostly prickly. Flowering stalk called spike
has single, semi-double and double flowers, creamy-
white, tubular and highly fragrant.

Rosa hybrida (Rose)

Family: Rosaceae

Plants are erect to climbing; stem prickly, leaves

oddly pinnate and prickly. Flowers in loose flower
varieties are many, borne in clusters and mostly in
red, pink and white colours.

Tagetes erecta (African marigold)

Family: Asteraceae

Plants are tall, stem green, foliage oddly pinnate,

72 light green and flowers large, yellow to orange tinged.

Tagetes patula (French marigold)

Family: Asteraceae

Plant is dwarf, stem bronze, foliage oddly pinnate,

dark green and flowers small, mainly red tinged.

Exercise: Visit the commercial Floriculture farms/ nurseries/ Florist shops and identify
different loose flowers being grown or sold based upon their distinguishable
morphological characters.

Observations:

[Link]. Name of the Cut flower or Plant Flowers and Remarks

flower loose flower or characteristics inflorescence
both

Precautions:

• Do not damage the flower crops during identification.

• Carefully note the most distinguishable characters of flower crops identified.

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