Flowers of the common double Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus \Flore Pleno\". The picture shows detached flowers from a clump of double snow

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Flowers of the common double Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus \Flore Pleno\". The picture shows detached flowers from a clump of double snowdrops in a UK garden. The flowers retain the outer white tepals of the wild type G. nivalis, but the inner notched tepals are far more numerous than the three present in the wild type. They also show strips of green rather than a terminal blotch. Amongst these striped tepals there are yellow, non-functional tissues corresponding to the anthers and styles of the wild type. Double flowers arise from mutations in genes controlling flower development. The results are often prized horticulturally (most garden roses are double); they may be larger than single flowers, and since they are sterile and do not produce seed, longer lasting. However, as shown here, they lack the symmetry of the wild type; and can only be propagated from offset bulbs"

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

Keywords: anther, development, double, flore, flower, galanthus, gene, horticultural, horticulture, mutation, nivalis, pleniflorus, pleno, snowdrop, style, tepal