Plant Reproduction
Assumed audience
General adult who has completed Plant Anatomy Fundamentals.
Sexual reproduction in flowering plants
Flowers are the reproductive organs of angiosperms. A flower contains male parts (stamens producing pollen) and/or female parts (carpels containing ovules).
Pollination
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from anther to stigma — by wind, water, insects, birds, or bats. Pollination is a relational process: the flower’s shape, color, scent, and nectar are co-evolved with the pollinator.
Seeds and fruit
After fertilization, the ovule develops into a seed, and the surrounding ovary tissue develops into a fruit. Seeds contain an embryo, a food supply, and a protective coat. Fruits aid dispersal — by wind, water, animals, or mechanical ejection.
Vegetative reproduction
Many plants can reproduce without seeds — through runners, tubers, bulbs, rhizomes, or fragmentation. This is clonal reproduction: the offspring are genetically identical to the parent.
Alternation of generations
Plants alternate between a diploid sporophyte generation (the visible plant) and a haploid gametophyte generation (greatly reduced in flowering plants, more prominent in ferns and mosses).
Why this matters
Understanding reproduction explains seed saving, plant breeding, and why pollinators matter for agriculture and ecosystems.