Morphology of Flowering Plants Practice Test

The main idea here is the position of the ovary relative to the other floral parts. An epigynous (inferior) ovary sits below the attachment point of the petals, sepals, and stamens, often with the receptacle or hypanthium surrounding its base, so the fruit develops from this lower-positioned ovary.

Cucumber is a classic example because its flower’s ovary lies beneath those floral parts. After fertilization, the cucumber fruit forms from that inferior ovary, so the ovary’s position is the defining feature.

The other plants mentioned typically have their ovaries at the level of or above the other floral parts (superior ovary), so they do not exhibit an inferior ovary.