There are 2 major types of plants: flowering and non-flowering. Flowering plants reproduce from seeds developed from flowers. Non-flowering plants reproduce from spores and cuttings.

Flowers are important in making seeds. Flowers can be made up of different parts, but there are some parts that are basic in most if not all flowers. The main flower parts are the male part called the stamen and the female part called the pistil.

The Stamen

The stamen has two parts: anther and filament. The anther is a pouch-like structure that holds pollen grains. The job of pollen grains is similar to that of sperm cells in humans. They are mostly yellow in color. The filament is a fine, hair-like stalk that supports the anther. It keeps the anther upright.

The Pistil

The pistil, also called the carpel, has 4 parts: stigma, style, ovary and ovule (egg). The stigma is the sticky bulb-like structure that is seen in the center of flowers and is the part where the pollen lands and starts the fertilization process. Its major job is to trap pollen. The style is the long stalk that supports the stigma. It keeps the stigma upright. The ovary is at the base of the flower. It has the seeds inside and turns into the fruit that we eat. The seeds are called ovules which are similar to the eggs in the ovaries of humans.

Other parts of the flower that are important are the petals and sepals. Petals attract pollinators and are usually the reason why we buy and enjoy flowers. The sepals are the green petal-like parts at the base of the flower. Sepals help protect the flower before it opens.

Pollination

When pollination occurs, pollen moves from the male parts to the female parts of the flower. Pollen grains from the anther land on the stigma. A tiny tube takes them the style into the ovary to fertilize the ovules. The fertilized ovule becomes the seed and the ovary becomes the fruit.

Since flowers can't move, they need to be able to attract pollinators or be built so that wind is able to pollinate them. Flowers attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, insects, and birds with sweet nectar, bright colors.

Some plants don't produce flowers and seeds. Plants such as ferns and mosses are called nonflowering plants and produce spores instead of seeds. There is also another group called the Fungi, that include mushrooms, and these also reproduce by spores.

Other plants reproduce from cuttings. This is called cloning because every new plant is exactly like the parent. Cuttings are parts of plants that grow into new plants. Both stems and leaves can be used as cuttings. Another kind of cloning is grafting; the joining together of two plants into one. Other kinds of cloning use bulbs or tubers; underground parts that make new plants.

Answer the following questions.

1. What is the name of the male structure of the flower?

2. List the 4 parts that make up the female structure of a flower.

3. Which part of the flower traps pollen?

4. Which part of the flower produces pollen?

5. Give another name for ovule.

6. When does pollination occur?

7. Identify 2 different types of pollination.

8. List 2 ways in which non-flowering plants reproduce.

Additional Research

Find out the difference between angiosperms and gymnosperms.

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