Sectioned flower buds of the Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. The picture shows two buds. To the right, the bud is from a plant with single red flower

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Sectioned flower buds of the Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. The picture shows two buds. To the right, the bud is from a plant with single red flowers. To the left, the bud is from a plant with double flowers of a pale purple hue. The single bud shows, from the outside, the sepals that enclose the bud (green), the folded petals (red), the stamens with anthers (pinkish stalks with white anthers to top), and the gynoecium, with very small white ovules visible. The double flower has developed very few stamens; the majority have grown as lamellae that resemble petals (botanically, these are tepals). This difference is caused by changes in the sequence of genetic events during flower formation. Double flowers are often prized in horticulture, since they may have a higher visual impact and last longer than the equivalent single flower.

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Size: 5212px × 3468px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: anther, development, double, flower, gene, gynoecium, opium, ovule, papaver, petal, plant, poppy, sepal, single, somniferum, tepal