I have managed to find lots of revision displacement activities over the last three weeks or so. Blogging and photography are probably the ones I indulge in most frequently. Today I have artfully combined my favourite distractions with my revision.
So what might at first appear to be simply a photograph of some lovely supermarket tulips, is in fact a study of a monocotyledon. All flowering plants (angiosperms) are either monocotyledons or dicotyledons – a term that refers to whether they have either one or two seed leaves. Bear with me, this is going somewhere. Tulips, along with irises, daffodils and many grasses, are monocotyledons, and this group is further characterised by having flower parts that appear in multiples of three. The interesting thing about many flowers in this group, including tulips and lilies, is that although their flowers may appear to have six* petals, say, they really only have three, the others being sepals (outer leaf-like organs that protect the bud). As these flower parts are indistinguishable, and it is confusing to talk of petals or sepals, they are called tepals, which I think is rather lovely.
And sticking with the flowery theme, I have been struck by the words used to describe the various ways in which flowers appear on their stems: racemes, panicles, umbels and corymbs, all of which are poetic-sounding flowery clusters or inflorescences.
Time to get back to my books.
*Six for this example, though clearly not in the case of my tulips!
I have just been admiring my jugs of supermarket monocotyledons (tulips, narcissi and iris) which are looking fabulous now they have all opened.
Thank you for teaching me something as well as adding to my vocabulary. Inflorescences, inflorescences, inflorescences………
…. and I’ve been over at your blog learning all about Candlemas! Writing about this has confused me though – the business of multiples of three anyway, because dicotyledons have flower parts that come in multiples of four and five, so I wonder how one identifies a flower with twelve or fifteen flower parts. A question for my tutor, I think.
Ah yes, the joys of displacement activities. Though yours seem far too enjoyable – mine always seem to take the form of a sudden and urgent need to clean. This I can (just about) persuade myself is necessary. Thus I recall many years ago sitting in the midst of chaos writing an essay in the early hours of the morning, having finally realised that the 9am deadline for submission was (a) non-negotiable other than in an emergency and (b) being part-way through reorganising the furniture and the room probably would not be an acceptable emergency.
That sounds horribly familiar, certainly our stairs have never been cleaner!
Guilt-free blogging whilst still doing some horticultural revision, combined with guilt-free gardening – sounds good to me.
Tepals is a lovely word and, of course, an anagram of petals. Good mnemonics too!
I enjoy your blog very much. I’m a necomer and am reading my way through the older posts – great stuff – thank you.
i never heard of revision displacement activities. That is what you taught me today. Now I will have to hit the ‘books’.
I love ‘tepals’ – an anagram of ‘petals’ as well.
Dear Charlotte, Petals, sepals, tepals or otherwise what pretty plummy tulips you show today!
You have brought back flashes of memories of first year botany at university. Stuck in an airless and windowless lab but looking at outrageously beautiful things – and then cutting them up!! Remember being surprised that monocots not only included grasses and tulips but also palm trees. Thanks for you blog which I found the other day. Looking forward to hear more of your gardeny life!
very good information. I knew tulips had only three petals, but I didn’t know the tepals world. thank you!
Now that is a really lovely photo. I looked at it for a long while!