Floral formula

A floral formula is a way to represent the structure of a flower using specific letters, numbers, and symbols. Typically, a general formula will be used to represent the flower structure of a plant family rather than a particular species. The following representations are used:

    Ca = calyx (sepal whorl; e. g. Ca5 = 5 sepals)
    Co = corolla (petal whorl; e. g., Co3(x) = petals some multiple of three )

        Z = add if zygomorphic (e. g., CoZ6 = zygomorphic with 6 petals)

    A = androecium (whorl of stamens; e. g., A∞ = many stamens)
    G = gynoecium (carpel or carpels; e. g., G1 = monocarpous)

x: to represent a "variable number"
∞: to represent "many"

A floral formula would appear something like this:

    Ca5Co5A10 - ∞G1