Aestivation (botany)

For the meaning of 'animal dormancy' as used in zoology, see Aestivation.
"Crumpled" redirects here. For the deformation feature, see Crumple zone.
A diagram showing some kinds of petal or sepal aestivation in flower buds. A: quincuncial; B,C: cochleate; D: contorted; E: valvate; F: open.

Aestivation or estivation refers to the positional arrangement of the parts of a flower within a flower bud before it has opened. Aestivation is also sometimes referred to as praefoliation or prefoliation, but these terms may also mean vernation: the arrangement of leaves within a vegetative bud.

Aestivation can be an important taxonomic diagnostic; for example Malvaceae flower buds have valvate sepals, with the exception of the genera Fremontodendron and Chiranthodendron, which have sometimes been misplaced as a result.

The terms used to describe aestivation are the same as those used to describe leaf vernation.[1] Classes of aestivation include:

References

  1. Hickey, M.; King, C. (2001). The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,.


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