Chapter 3

BOT3015L
Biology of Flowering Plants:
Reproduction
Flowers and Pollination

Presentation created by Danielle Sherdan

All photos from Raven et al. Biology of Plants except when otherwise noted
 Today

• Introducing angiosperms, flower structure and function

• Pollination
• Evolutionary trends in floral structure
• Inflorescences
• Monocots and dicots
 Flowers are distinguishing
characteristics of angiosperms
All fruits come from flowers
Angion=vessel
Sperma=seed
Angiosperms have seeds contained
in a vessel (developing ovary)

Cherry

Saguaro cactus Apple Cattleya orchid

Sunflowers
 Flowers

What are the functions of flowers?

How are these functions important for the
survival of species?

Honeysuckle
 Flower dissection
a guided tour

Notice the arrangement of the floral parts

 Arrangements of floral organs
Primitive Advanced

Carpels
Stamens

Petals

Sepals

Spiral arrangement of Arrangement of floral organs

floral organs. in whorls.
 Flower dissection
a guided tour
What are the functions of these floral parts?

Note that the petals are inserted after the sepals

 Alternation of
Generations
generalized plant
life cycle

In angiosperms,
gametophytes are borne
within the reproductive
structures of the flower; thus
flowers are important when
discussing evolution of
angiosperms
 Flower dissection
a guided tour
What are the
functions of
the stamens?
stamen
Hint:
collectively, the
stamens are
termed the
androecium
(andro=male,
ecium=house).
We will discuss
the
microgametophyte
next week
The stamens of most grasses (left) and the paper birch (right)
are easily blown by wind.
The flowers of most grasses do not have showy petals, why?
 Flower dissection
Ovary, ovules a guided tour
(within ovary),
style, and stigma
comprise the
stamen
carpel
(megasporophyll)

What are the

functions of the
carpel?

We will discuss
more about the
megagametophyte
next week
 Alternation of
Generations
generalized plant
life cycle
Requires pollination

In angiosperms,
gametophytes are born within
the reproductive structures of
the flower; thus flowers are
important when discussing
evolution of angiosperms
 Today

• Introducing angiosperms, flower structure and function

• Pollination
• Evolutionary trends in floral structure
• Inflorescences
• Monocots and dicots
 Pollination

In angiosperms, movement of the microgametophyte (pollen

grain) to the megagametophyte in the ovule of the carpel

How does a sessile organism, the microgametophyte in

the case of angiosperms move?

Vectors

In the following discussion, notice the co-evolution of flowers

and their biotic vectors
 Some plants make big investments in
attracting animal pollination vectors
Nectar

Notice the pollen on the

hummingbird’s forehead and the
stigma that touches it as he feeds
Some plants make big investments in
attracting animal pollination vectors
Pollen

Seat bee gathering pollen

from the stamens of a cactus
flower
Some plants make big investments in
attracting animal pollination vectors
Drugs (Intoxication)

Cypridium sp.
Koning, Ross E. 1994. Pollination Adaptations. Plant Physiology Information Website.
http://koning.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/Plants_Human/pollenadapt.html. (5-25-105).
 Some plants make big investments in
attracting animal pollination vectors
Prospect of Sex (pseudocopulation)

photonature-pvd.chez.tiscali.fr/ ophrys.htm

Ophrys bécasse Charente Ophrys speculum

 Plants that rely on wind make big
investments in pollen

Notice the
stigmas that
fan out to
easily catch
pollen

grass birch
Pollination Biology movie
 Today

• Introducing angiosperms, flower structure and function

• Pollination
• Evolutionary trends in floral structure
• Inflorescences
• Monocots and dicots
Evolutionary Trends in Floral Structure

1. Reduction in number of parts

Perfect and Imperfect flowers

From
Outlaw lecture
Evolutionary Trends in Floral Structure

1. Reduction in number of parts

2. Cyclic arrangement (vs. spiral)

3. Fusion of organs
Fusion of floral parts

Outlaw lecture notes

Angel trumpet has fused

petals that form a floral tube
 Fusion of organs

Danielle Sherdan
NE Tallahassee, FL

Notice the stamens fused to the carpel

of this hibiscus flower
 Fusion of floral parts
Superior and Inferior ovaries
Primitive Advanced
Superior ovary Superior, parts Inferior, floral tube
(primitive)—note still appear to fused to ovary wall,
typical appearance arise in normal making ovary appear
of order of insertion order. to arise below other
of floral parts. floral parts.
Evolutionary Trends in Floral Structure

1. Reduction in number of parts

2. Cyclic arrangement (vs. spiral)

3. Fusion of organs

4. Away from marginal placentation

 Placentation
Within each ovule, Marginal
double fertilization, a Seeds attached
Primitive
distinguishing to margin of
characteristic of single carpel
angiosperms,
produces the zygote
and endosperm. Fusion of carpels
Parietal
The ovary develops
into the fruit, another
distinguishing Axile
characteristic
Advanced of
angiosperms

Free central
Evolutionary Trends in Floral Structure

1. Reduction in number of parts

2. Cyclic arrangement (vs. spiral)

3. Fusion of organs

4. Away from marginal placentation

5. Away from regularity e.g. toward

bilateral symmetry over radial
symmetry
 Bilateral and Radial Symmetry

This wintergreen displays

radial symmetry, which is
This orchid, an advanced primitive, but fused carpels,
monocot, displays bilateral which is advanced
symmetry
 Today

• Introducing angiosperms, flower structure and function

• Pollination
• Evolutionary trends in floral structure
• Inflorescences
• Monocots and dicots
 Inflorescences
Groups of flowers in particular arrangements
Some examples

Lupine
 Inflorescences
Groups of flowers in particular arrangements

What is a fitness advantage of having inflorescences?

What is a fitness disadvantage of having inflorescences?
 Inflorescences
Groups of flowers in particular arrangements

Notice that these

composites display
many evolutionarily
advanced
characteristics
 Today

• Introducing angiosperms, flower structure and function

• Pollination
• Evolutionary trends in floral structure
• Inflorescences
• Monocots and dicots
 Monocots and Dicots
the two major groups of angiosperms

Monocots and dicots have several differentiating characteristics

Number of cotyledons
Leaf venation
Number of flower parts
Observe today
Seed structure at maturity
In your lab notebook, Function of cotyledons
create a table to
Root structure
contrast these traits
in monocots and Secondary growth in shoot
dicots Arrangement of vascular bundles