3.5. Flower

For the life cycle of a plant to continue, the vegetative stage of the plant must transition into the reproductive stage wherein a fusion of male and female gametes can produce a viable seed that can germinate and, in turn, grow into a facsimile of its parent. The reproductive stage in the Angiosperms (the flowering plants) is represented by flower that is composed of stamen - the male organ producing pollen - and pistil - the female organ producing eggs, surrounded by oft-colored petals. Upon pollination, either via wind or insects, there is a union of the pollen and the egg resulting in an embryo that ultimately develops into a fruit containing seeds. Shielded from the outside environment by a seed coat, the seeds, under favorable outside conditions, germinate and produce a new plant. Seldom, the seeds are encased inside the pulp of fruits, or in the case of cereals like wheat or rice, the seed contains starchy endosperm [Chapter 3: Section 6] that provides humans with majority of calorific nutrition.