Aestivation (botany)

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A diagram showing some kinds of petal or sepal aestivation in flower buds. A: quincuncial; B: twisted, C: cochleate; D: contorted; E: valvate; F: open. Aestivation.png
A diagram showing some kinds of petal or sepal aestivation in flower buds. A: quincuncial; B: twisted, C: cochleate; D: contorted; E: valvate; F: open.

Aestivation or estivation is 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.

Terminology

Aestivation patterns in August Eichler's Bluthendiagramme. A; quincuncial, B-C; ascending and descending cochlear, D-E; left- and right-twisted, F: irregular cochlear. Bluthendiagramme - Figure 1 - vectorized.svg
Aestivation patterns in August Eichler's Blüthendiagramme. A; quincuncial, B-C; ascending and descending cochlear, D-E; left- and right-twisted, F: irregular cochlear.

The terms used to describe aestivation are the same as those used to describe leaf vernation. [2]

Classes of aestivation include:

References

  1. Eichler, August W. (1875-01-01). Blüthendiagramme. Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann.
  2. Hickey, M.; King, C. (2001). The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.