Chapter 43 Opener

Amorphophallus titanium, also known as "corpse flower," has rarely

been coaxed to bloom in the U.S. The central projection, called a
spadix, is often over six feet tall and is filled with small male and female
flowers.
FIGURE 43-4 The life cycle of a flowering plant
Although this cycle shows the same basic stages as the life cycle of a
fern (see Fig. 43-2), the haploid gametophyte stages are microscopic
and do not live independently of the diploid plant.
FIGURE 43-5b A complete flower
(b) The amaryllis is a complete monocot flower, with 3 sepals (virtually
identical to the petals), 3 petals, 6 stamens, and 3 carpels (fused into a
single structure). The anthers are well below the stigma, making self-
pollination unlikely.
FIGURE 43-9 Wind-pollinated flowers
The flowers of grasses and many deciduous trees are wind pollinated,
with anthers (yellow structures hanging beneath the flowers) exposed
to the wind. Petals are reduced or absent.
FIGURE 43-8 Pollen grains
The tough outer coats of many pollen grains are elaborately sculptured
in species-specific shapes and patterns. The pollen grains in this false-
color SEM photo are from a geranium (orange), a tiger lily (fuschia),
and a dandelion (yellow).