Flowers, Fruits and Seeds

Flowers are structures that allow plants to share their individual traits to create a new generation.

Drawings courtesy Carrie Liz Carpenter

1 – Pollen from one individual finds its way to

2 – The stigma of a second individual. The pollen makes a tube and delivers itself to

3 – The ovary of the second individual

The fertilized ovary grows into a fruit, which contains one or more seeds.

Photo courtesy Evan-Amos, Wikimedia

The seed uses the protection and nutrients of the fruit to start growing a new individual

Drawing courtesy Wikimedia

Flowers are the only way trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses can share genetic material. Fruits always come from flowers. Seeds only come from fruits.

Each species has its own ways to accomplish this general pattern. Some species allow pollen to fertilize the ovary of the same individual, others don’t. Some produce big fruits and others just a thin skin over the seed.

Want more? See Wikipedia.

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