flower, the 

characteristic reproductive structure of angiosperms. As popularly used,

the term “flower” especially applies when part or all of the reproductive structure is
distinctive in colour and form.

petunia

lilac
In their range of colour, size, form, and anatomical arrangement, flowers present a
seemingly endless variety of combinations. They range in size from minute blossoms
to giant blooms. In some plants, such as poppy, magnolia, tulip, and petunia, each
flower is relatively large and showy and is produced singly, while in other plants,
such as aster, snapdragon, and lilac, the individual flowers may be very small and are
borne in a distinctive cluster known as an inflorescence. Regardless of their variety,
all flowers have a uniform function, the reproduction of the species through the
production of seed.
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Form and types

flower parts

Basically, each flower consists of a floral axis upon which are borne the essential
organs of reproduction (stamens and pistils) and usually accessory organs (sepals
and petals); the latter may serve to both attract pollinating insects and protect the
essential organs. The floral axis is a greatly modified stem; unlike vegetative stems,
which bear leaves, it is usually contracted, so that the parts of the flower are crowded
together on the stem tip, the receptacle. The flower parts are usually arrayed in
whorls (or cycles) but may also be disposed spirally, especially if the axis is elongate.
There are commonly four distinct whorls of flower parts: (1) an outer calyx consisting
of sepals; within it lies (2) the corolla, consisting of petals; (3) the androecium, or
group of stamens; and in the centre is (4) the gynoecium, consisting of the pistils.
pistil
The sepals and petals together make up the perianth, or floral envelope. The sepals
are usually greenish and often resemble reduced leaves, while the petals are usually
colourful and showy. Sepals and petals that are indistinguishable, as in lilies and
tulips, are sometimes referred to as tepals. The androecium, or male parts of the
flower, comprise the stamens, each of which consists of a supporting filament and an
anther, in which pollen is produced. The gynoecium, or female parts of the
flower, comprises one or more pistils, each of which consists of an ovary, with an
upright extension, the style, on the top of which rests the stigma, the pollen-receptive
surface. The ovary encloses the ovules, or potential seeds. A pistil may be simple,
made up of a single carpel, or ovule-bearing modified leaf; or compound, formed
from several carpels joined together.

A flower having sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils is complete; lacking one or more
of such structures, it is said to be incomplete. Stamens and pistils are not present
together in all flowers. When both are present the flower is said to be perfect, or
bisexual, regardless of a lack of any other part that renders it incomplete
(see photograph). A flower that lacks stamens is pistillate, or female, while one that
lacks pistils is said to be staminate, or male. When the same plant bears unisexual
flowers of both sexes, it is said to be monoecious (e.g., tuberous begonia, hazel, oak,
corn); when the male and female flowers are on different plants, the plant
is dioecious (e.g., date, holly, cottonwood, willow); when there are male, female,
and bisexual flowers on the same plant, the plant is termed polygamous.
Compare the Rafflesia arnoldii's massive bloom with Amorphophallus titanum's
towering inflorescence
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A flower may be radially symmetrical (see photograph), as in roses and petunias, in
which case it is termed regular or actinomorphic. A bilaterally symmetrical flower, as
in orchids (see photograph) and snapdragons, is irregular or zygomorphic.
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Pollination

how flowering plants reproduce

The stamens and pistils are directly involved with the production of seed.
The stamen bears microsporangia (spore cases) in which are developed
numerous microspores (potential pollen grains); the pistil bears ovules, each
enclosing an egg cell. When a microspore germinates, it is known as a pollen grain.
When the pollen sacs in a stamen’s anther are ripe, the anther releases them and the
pollen is shed. Fertilization can occur only if the pollen grains are transferred from
the anther to the stigma of a pistil, a process known as pollination.

self-pollination
sedge

iris
There are two chief kinds of pollination: (1) self-pollination, the pollination of a
stigma by pollen from the same flower or another flower on the same plant; and
(2) cross-pollination, the transfer of pollen from the anther of a flower of one plant to
the stigma of the flower of another plant of the same species. Self-pollination occurs
in many species, but in the others, perhaps the majority, it is prevented by
such adaptations as the structure of the flower, self-incompatibility, and the
maturation of stamens and pistils of the same flower or plant at different times.
Cross-pollination may be brought about by a number of agents, chiefly insects and
wind. Wind-pollinated flowers (see photograph) generally can be recognized by their
lack of colour, odour, or nectar, while animal-pollinated flowers (see photograph)
are conspicuous by virtue of their structure, colour, or the production of scent
or nectar.

Uncover how flowers attract their pollinators

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After a pollen grain has reached the stigma, it germinates, and a pollen tube
protrudes from it. This tube, containing two male gametes (sperms), extends into the
ovary and reaches the ovule, discharging its gametes so that one fertilizes the egg cell,
which becomes an embryo, and the other joins with two polar nuclei to form
the endosperm. (Normally many pollen grains fall on a stigma; they all may
germinate, but only one pollen tube enters any one ovule.) Following fertilization, the
embryo is on its way to becoming a seed, and at this time the ovary itself enlarges to
form the fruit.
Cultural significance
Flowers have been symbols of beauty in most civilizations of the world, and flower
giving is still among the most popular of social amenities. As gifts, flowers serve as
expressions of affection for spouses, other family members, and friends;
as decorations at weddings and other ceremonies; as tokens of respect for the
deceased; as cheering gifts to the bedridden; and as expressions of thanks or
appreciation. Most flowers bought by the public are grown in commercial
greenhouses or horticultural fields and then sold through wholesalers to retail
florists. See also articles on individual flowers
(e.g., carnation; lotus; petunia; rose; tulip).
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated
by  Adam Augustyn.
inflorescence
  Introduction
 Determinate inflorescence.
 Indeterminate inflorescence.

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inflorescence
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 indeterminate inflorescence determinate
inflorescence peduncle pseudanthium discoid head

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inflorescence, in a flowering plant, a cluster of flowers on a branch or a system of

branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers
on a main axis (peduncle) and by the timing of its flowering (determinate and
indeterminate).
Determinate inflorescence.
In determinate (cymose) inflorescences, the youngest flowers are at the bottom of an
elongated axis or on the outside of a truncated axis. At the time of flowering,
the apical meristem (the terminal point of cell division) produces a flower bud, thus
arresting the growth of the peduncle.

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angiosperm: Inflorescences

Inflorescences are clusters of flowers on a branch or a system of branches.

They are categorized generally on the basis of the timing of...

A cyme is a flat-topped inflorescence in which the central flowers open first, followed
by the peripheral flowers, as in the onion (genus Allium).

wood stichwort
A dichasium is one unit of a cyme and is characterized by a stunted central flower
and two lateral flowers on elongated pedicels, as in the wood stichwort
(species Stellaria nemorum).
Indeterminate inflorescence.
In indeterminate inflorescences, the youngest flowers are at the top of an elongated
axis or on the centre of a truncated axis. An indeterminate inflorescence may be
a raceme, panicle, spike, catkin, corymb, umbel, spadix, or head.

lily of the valley

In a raceme a flower develops at the upper angle (axil) between the stem and branch
of each leaf along a long, unbranched axis. Each flower is borne on a short stalk,
called a pedicel. An example of a raceme is found in the snapdragon (Antirrhinum
majus).

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astilbe
A panicle is a branched raceme in which each branch has more than one flower, as in
the astilbe (Astilbe).

false dragonhead
A spike is a raceme, but the flowers develop directly from the stem and are not borne
on pedicels, as in barley (Hordeum).

monoecious flowers
A catkin (or ament) is a spike in which the flowers are either male (staminate) or
female (carpellate). It is usually pendulous, and the perianth may be reduced
or absent, as in oaks (Quercus).
yarrow
A corymb is a raceme in which the pedicels of the lower flowers are longer than those
of the upper flowers so that the inflorescence has a flat-topped appearance overall, as
in hawthorn (Crataegus).

Texas milkweed
In an umbel, each of the pedicels initiates from about the same point at the tip of the
peduncle, giving the appearance of an umbrella-like shape, as in the wax flowers
(Hoya).
A spadix is a spike borne on a fleshy stem and is common in the family Araceae
(e.g., Philodendron). The subtending bract is called a spathe.

A head (capitulum) is a short dense spike in which the flowers are borne directly on a

broad, flat peduncle, giving the inflorescence the appearance of a single flower, as in
the dandelion (Taraxacum).
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