Word Finder - whorl

definition

A pattern of concentric circles.

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A circle of three or more leaves, flowers, or other organs, about the same part or joint of a stem.

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A volution, or turn, of the spire of a univalve shell.

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Any volution, as for example in the human ear or fingerprint.

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A flywheel, a weight attached to a spindle.

definition

To form a pattern of concentric circles.

As a rule, however, the number in a whorl is irregular.

There is no satisfactory explanation of this break in the regular alternation of successive whorls; the outer whorl' of stamens arises in course of development before the inner, so that there is no question of subsequent displacement.

In the staminal whorl especially it is common to find additional rows.

When there is more than one row or whorl in a flower, those on the outside are sometimes longest, as in many Rosaceae; at other times those in the interior are longest, as in Luhea.

Trophosome, polyps with a single whorl of capitate tentacles; gonosome, free medusae, with ten tacles branched, solid.

This structure was formerly regarded as pointing to the fusion of two organs, and the pale was considered by Robert Brown to represent two portions soldered together of a trimerous perianth - whorl, the third portion being the " lower pale."

Shell turriculated and siphonated, thick, each whorl with varices; foot broad and truncated anteriorly; pallial siphon well developed; proboscis present.

The same occurs in the verticillate arrangement, the leaves of each whorl rarely being super- posed on those of the whorl next it, but usually alterna ting so that each leaf in a whorl occupies the space be tween two leaves of the whorl next to it.

In Coleochaetaceae the branches are often welded into nexion with each whorl there arise, singly or in pairs, branches which a plate, simulating a parenchyma.

The two bracts are, however, on different axes, one secondary to the other, and cannot therefore be parts of one whorl of organs.

They are generally considered to represent the inner whorl of the ordinary monocotyledonous b FIG.

The leaves are borne in whorls, those of each whorl cohering, except at their extreme tips, to form a sheath.

In some the sporangiophores stood midway between the sterile whorls, while in others they approached the whorl above or below.

At the base of the general umbel in umbelliferous plants a whorl of bracts often exists, called a general involucre, and at the base of the smaller umbels or umbellules there is a similar leafy whorl called an involucel or partial involucre.

In Labiate plants, as the dead-nettle (Lamium), the flowers are produced in the axil of each of the foliage leaves of the plant, and they appear as if arranged in a simple whorl of flowers.

The flower is supposed to be cut transversely, and the parts of each whorl are distinguished by a different symbol.

Thus, in the tulip, crocus, lily, speak of the parts of the perianth, in place of corolla, although in these plants there is an outer whorl (calyx), of three parts, and an inner (corolla), of a similar number, alternating with them.

Usually the successive whorls of the flower, disposed from below upwards or from without inwards upon the floral axis, are of the same number of parts, or are a multiple of the same number of parts, those of one whorl alternating with those of the whorls next it.

Normally, the parts of successive whorls alternate; but in some cases we find the parts of one whorl opposite or superposed to those of the next whorl.

In some cases, as in the vine-family Ampelidaceae, this seems to be the ordinary mode of development, but the superposition of the stamens on the sepals in many plants, as in the pink family, Caryophyllaceae, is due to the suppression or abortion of the whorl of petals, and this idea is borne out by the development, in some plants of the order, of the suppressed whorl.

Here the number of parts in the staminal whorl is double that in the others, and in such a case the additional five parts form a second row alternating with the others.

In Monocotyledons it is usual for the staminal whorl to be double, it rarely having more than two rows, whilst amongst dicotyledons there are often very numerous rows of stamens.

The pistillate whorl is very liable to changes.

When the different members of each whorl are like in size and shape, the flower is said to be regular; while differences in the size and shape of the parts of a whorl make the flower irregular, as in the papilionaceous flower, represented in fig.

When the parts of any whorl are not equal to or some multiple of the others, then the flower 15 asymmetrical.

Alteration in the symmetrical arrangement as well as in the completeness and regularity of flowers has been traced to suppression or the non-development of parts, degeneration or imperfect formation, cohesion or union of parts of the same whorl, adhesion or union of the parts of different whorls, multiplication of parts, and deduplication (sometimes called chorisis) or splitting of parts.

The suppression of parts of the flower may be carried so far that at last a flower consists of only one part of one whorl.

Cohesion, or the union of parts of the same whorl, and adhesion, or the growing together of parts of different whorls, are causes of change both as regards form and symmetry.

We have already alluded to the interposition of new members in a whorl.

This takes place chiefly in the staminal whorl, but usually the additional parts produced form a symmetrical whorl with the others.

Thus in Cruciferous plants the staminal whorl consists of four long stamens and two short ones (tetradynamous).

Thus, to express the superposition of one whorl upon another, a line is drawn between them, e.g.

The corolla is the more or less coloured attractive inner floral envelope; generally the most conspicuous whorl.

Petals differ more from ordinary leaves than sepals do, and are much more nearly allied to the staminal whorl.

Flowers become double by the multiplication of the parts of the corolline whorl; this arises in general from a metamorphosis of the stamens.

When flowers become double by cultivation, the stamens are converted into petals, as in the paeony, camellia, rose, &c. When there is only one whorl the stamens are usually equal in number to the sepals or petals, and are arranged opposite to the former, and alternate with the latter.

Changes are produced in the whorl of stamens by cohesion of the filaments to a greater or less extent, while the anthers remain free; thus, all the filaments of the androecium may unite, forming a tube round the pistil, or a central bundle when the pistil is abortive, the stamens becoming monadelphous, as occurs in plants of the Mallow tribe; or they may be arranged in two bundles, the stamens being diadelphous, as in Polygala, Fumaria and Pea; in this case the bundles may be equal or unequal.

It may consist of processes rising from the torus, alternating with the stamens, and thus representing an abortive whorl; or its parts may be opposite to the stamens.

It constitutes the innermost whorl, which after flowering is changed into the fruit and contains the seeds.

The commonest category is that representing textile manufacture and the objects included pin beaters, a needle and a spindle whorl.

Desmoulin's Whorl Snail is a tiny gastropod that lives in swampy grasslands.

The Giant's Causeway National Nature Reserve supports the only known population of narrow-mouthed whorl snail in Northern Ireland.

Whorl Generally speaking a whorl Generally speaking a whorl is a circular or spiral feature, like a whorl of hair, or the spiral pattern in fingerprints.

Spindle whorl A spindle whorl made from the top of a cow's leg bone.

The ' trumpet ' is often a darker yellow and nearly as long as the outer whorl of petals.

In the species on which the genus was founded the leaves, as the generic name implies, are cuneate and entire, or toothed on their anterior margina l in other cases they are deeply divided by dichotomy into narrow segments, or the whorl consists of a larger number (up to 30) of apparently simple, linear leaves, which may represent the segments of a smaller number.

The Giant 's Causeway National Nature Reserve supports the only known population of narrow-mouthed whorl snail in Northern Ireland.

A close-up of a whorl of flowers is shown on the right.

In general shape they resemble palm trees, with a thick central stem and a whorl of huge leaves at the top.

Whorl Generally speaking a whorl is a circular or spiral feature, like a whorl of hair, or the spiral pattern in fingerprints.