Which plant is given as an example of epipetalous stamens?

Which plant is given as an example of epipetalous stamens?

• A. Lily
• B. Cassia
• C. Calotropis
• D. Brinjal

Answer: (D)

Epipetalous stamens are those whose filaments are attached to the petals (the corolla), so the stamens sit flush with or inside the corolla tube rather than arising freely from the receptacle. This arrangement is common in flowers with a tubular corolla, where the stamens are effectively built into the petal structure. In the eggplant flower, the five stamens are fused to the corolla tube, forming a staminal tube inside the petal tube and with the anthers positioned along that tube. This direct attachment of the stamens to the petals demonstrates epipetaly clearly, making it a classic example. By contrast, a flower like a lily has stamens that are free or only loosely attached to the petals, not epipetalous, so it does not illustrate this pattern. The other listed flowers may have different arrangements or specialized features that aren’t the straightforward epipetalous condition shown by the eggplant.

Epipetalous stamens are those whose filaments are attached to the petals (the corolla), so the stamens sit flush with or inside the corolla tube rather than arising freely from the receptacle. This arrangement is common in flowers with a tubular corolla, where the stamens are effectively built into the petal structure.

In the eggplant flower, the five stamens are fused to the corolla tube, forming a staminal tube inside the petal tube and with the anthers positioned along that tube. This direct attachment of the stamens to the petals demonstrates epipetaly clearly, making it a classic example.

By contrast, a flower like a lily has stamens that are free or only loosely attached to the petals, not epipetalous, so it does not illustrate this pattern. The other listed flowers may have different arrangements or specialized features that aren’t the straightforward epipetalous condition shown by the eggplant.