Types of Aestivation in Flowers — NEET Biology

Aestivation describes how sepals or petals arrange themselves in a flower bud. The three main types are valvate (edges touching without overlapping), twisted (one sepal/petal overlaps the next in a spiral), and imbricate (some members overlap while others don't). Students often confuse these arrangements and mix them up with vernation (leaf arrangement). To avoid errors, remember that aestivation applies specifically to floral parts in buds and visualize each type: valvate = edges meet, twisted = spiral pattern, imbricate = irregular overlapping. NEET asks students to identify types from diagrams or describe which flowers show specific aestivation patterns.