SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN FLOWERING PLANTS

In flowering plants, sexual reproduction takes place in the flowers which are the organs of
reproduction. Flowers are modified shoots which bear the reproductive organs and are the site of
sexual reproduction.
General Parts of a Flower
Flowers may occur singly on the axil of a plant or in definite clusters called inflorescences. An
inflorescence is a collection of flowers borne on the same stalk (peduncle) or arranged in definite
patterns on a stem. A complete flower consists of four main floral parts; sepals, petals, stamens
and pistils including a pedicle and a receptacle.
Pedicel: This is a flower stalk. Sessile flowers have no pedicel e.g. sunflower
Receptacle:a This is the enlarged end of the flower stalk on which the other parts of the flower
are borne.
Sepals: These are modified leaves which enclose and protect the other parts of the flower in the
bud stage. All the sepals together make up the calyx. The sepals usually form the outermost
whorl of floral leaves. Additional floral leaves occurring below the calyx are called epicalyx. A
bract is a foliage leaf on the axil which occurs on a flower or group of flowers. Sepals are usually
greenish in colour and vary in number and arrangement. Sepals with same colour as petals are
called petaloid e.g. Pride of Barbados. Flowers with sepals that are free from one another are
called polysepalous flowers e.g. Allamanda. Flowers with united sepals are called gamosepalous,
e.g. Hibiscus.
Petals: These are the conspicuous part of a flower. They are usually brightly coloured and
scented especially in an insect-pollinated flower. All the petals make up the corolla of the flower.
Petals also vary in number and arrangement in different plants. Flowers with petals that are free
from one another are called polypetalous as in Hibiscus and rose. Flowers with united or partly
fused petals are called gamopetalous as seen in Allamanda, foxglove and primrose.
In monocotyledonous flowers, the calyx and corolla are similar and are collectively called
perianth. The individual parts are called tepals.
The importance of the petals are:
They are brightly coloured to attract insects for pollination
They provide a landing platform for insects.
Stamens (Androecium): Androecium is the collective name for the stamens which produce the
pollen grains. The stamen is the male part of the flower. It consists of a filament bearing an
anther. The filament is either attached to the receptacle or the petals. The anther is usually made
of two lobes, each containing two pollen sacs. In the pollen sacs are the pollen grains. Each
pollen grain gives rise to two haploid male gametes which are the reproductive nuclei of the
flower. When the anther matures, its two lobes split, setting free the pollen grains. In most
flowers the filaments are free from each other, but in some flowers like the Hibiscus, all the
filaments unite to form a staminal tube which completely encloses the ovary and style.
Pistil (Gynoecium): This is the female part of the flower. It consists of one or more units called
carpels. A carpel consists of an ovary, a style above the ovary and one or more stigmas.
The stigma is a swollen structure at the end of the style which receives the pollen grains.
The style is a narrow tube which connects the stigma to the ovary.
The ovary contains one or more ovules. Within each mature ovule is a female gamete or
an egg cell called the ovum. The region in the ovary to which the ovules are attached is
called the placenta. The ovule is attached to the placenta by a small stalk called a funicle.

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An ovary may be monocarpous, apocarpous or syncarpous.
- A monocarpous ovary consists of only one carpel as seen in Pride of Barbados, Cassia etc.
- An apocarpous ovary contains two or more carpels which are free from each other as in
Bryophllum and rose. The stigma, styles and carpels are free.
- A syncarpous ovary consists of two or more united carpels as in Hibiscus and orange. The
stigmas are free but, the styles and carpels are fused together.

Position of Ovaries
Superior Ovary (hypogynous): this is an ovary located above the other flower parts on the
receptacle. A flower with a superior ovary is called hypogynous. E.g. the Hibiscus and
Clitoria.
Inferior Ovary (epigynous): this is an ovary located below the other flower parts on the
receptacle. A flower with an inferior ovary is called epigynous. E.g. Sunflower, apple and
guava.
Perigynous Ovary: this is an ovary surrounded by the receptacle and other flower parts
arise from the middle of the receptacle.

Terms Associated With Whole Plants and Flowers

 Hermaphrodite (bisexual) flower: Contains both androecium and gynoecium i.e. stamens
(male) and pistils (female) parts in flowers borne on the same plant, e.g. Hibiscus,
flamboyant, crotalaria etc.
 Unisexual flower: has either the stamens or pistils, which is either male or female parts.
Any unisexual flower is an incomplete flower. If a unisexual flower contains the male
organs alone, it is a staminate flower.
 Dioecious (unisexual) plants: Male and female flowers borne on separate plants, the plant
is either female or male, e.g. Pawpaw.
 Monoecious plant: Separate male and female unisexual flowers borne on the same plant,
such as oak, maize, coconut, oil palm etc.
 Actinomorphic (regular) flower: is a flower which is radially symmetrical. Examples are
Hibiscus, Allamanda etc.
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  Zygomorphic (irregular) flower: is a flower which is bilaterally symmetrical.
 Protandrous flower: this is a bisexual flower in which the male and female parts mature at
different times. The anthers mature first before the stigmas.
 Protogynous flower: this is a bisexual flower in which the male and female parts mature at
different times. The stigmas mature first before the anthers. Protandrous flowers are more
common than protogynous flowers.
 Complete flower: a flower with all the four floral leaves ( sepals, petals, pistils and
stamens)
 Incomplete flower: a flower with any of the four floral leaves missing, e.g the flower of a
female pawpaw plant lacks the androecium.
The table below summarises the parts of a flower. The androecium and gynoecium are the
essential parts of a flower, other parts are the non-essential parts of the flower.

Classwork 1 (10 marks)

1. An inferior ovary of a flower is situated
A. below the floral parts B. above the floral parts
C. at the same level with all the floral parts D. at the centre of the floral parts
2. A flowering plant having both the male and the female flowers on the same plant, is said to be
A. regular B. monoecious C. irregular D. dioecious
3. Mention two essential parts of a flower
4. In flowering plants, sexual reproduction takes place in the_________________
5. What is a monoecious plant?-____________________________________________________

Assignment 1:
Draw and label a typical Dioecious or complete flower

Placentation in Flowers:
This is the arrangement or positions of ovules on the placenta within the ovary of a flowering
plant. The ovules are found in chambers called loculi (singular: loculus) which may be separated
from one another by partitions known as septa. The ovules in the chambers are attached to the

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placenta within the ovary by a short stalk called the funicle. The different forms of placentation
that exist include: marginal, axile, parietal, and free-central
 Marginal placentation: the ovules are arranged in a single row along one edge of a
monocarpous ovary. Example flamboyant, crotalaria, beans, cassia etc. Marginal placentation
can also be found in apocarpous ovaries. Each chamber has its own placenta to which the
ovules are attached e.g. rose plants.
 Axile placentation: the ovules are arranged on a central column, e.g tomato, orange and
pepper. It is found in a syncarpous ovary, consisting of two or three loculi (chambers)
separated by septa. The loculi extend to form a placenta in the centre where the ovules are
attached.
 Parietal placentation: the ovules are arranged on several lines on the side walls of the ovary.
There is only one loculus and no septum e.g. pawpaw, cucumber and melon. Parietal
placentation is found only in syncarpous ovaries at the fusion points of the carpels.
 Free-Central placentation: the ovules are attached to a central column to a knob which
projects from the base of the ovary. It is similar to the axile placentation, but there is only one
loculus and no septum e.g. water leaf.
 Basal and Apical placentation: When a single ovule develops at the base of the ovary, it is
known as basal placentation e.g. sunflower. When a single ovule develops at the apex of the
ovary, it is known as apical placentation e.g. Combretum.

Classwork 2
1. What is placentation in plants
2. With the use of diagrams illustrate the five types of placentation’s in plants

Pollination:

This is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma.
Agents of pollination: these are organisms or media that aid pollination. They include:
 Water: water pollinated plants like pondweeds and Hydrilla release their pollen grains
directly into the water, where they drift until they reach other flowers.
 Wind: moving air carries released pollen grains to other flowers.

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  Animals: Insects like bees, butterflies and beetles transfer pollen grains when they feed on
the nectar of flowers. Fruit bats and humming birds also aid pollination.
Types of Pollination:
Self-pollination: is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther of a flower to the stigma of the
same flower, or a different flower on the same plant. Self-pollinating plants have bisexual
flowers or unisexual flower on monoecious plants.

Adaptation for self-pollination:

 Flowers are homogamous, i.e. the anthers and stigmas mature at the same time
 Flowers are cleistogamous, i.e. the flower remains closed until self-pollination has taken
place.
 Flowers are bisexual.
Advantages of self-pollination:
 Pollen grains are produced in small quantities and most of them are not wasted
 The flower structures are less complicated
 Pollination occurs as soon as the pollen grains are mature as no distance is involved.
 No reliance on pollinators.
Disadvantages of self-pollination:
 No variation.
 Not been able to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
 Seeds are less healthy than seeds produced through cross pollination.

Cross-pollination: is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther of a flower to the stigma of a
flower on a different plant of the same species.
Adaptations for cross-pollination
 The plants are either monoecius or dioecious
 Dichogamy: this is the maturation of the stamens and stigmas of a bisexual flower at
different times.
 Self-sterility and self-incompatibility: This is a situation in which pollen grains of a
flower or of another flower on the same plant will not result in fertilisation even if they
reach the stigma. E.g. passion flower.
 Position of stigmas and anthers: the stigmas are kept higher than the stamens so that only
pollen grains collected by a visiting insects from another flower can reach the stigma of
the visited flower.
 The flowers show heterostyly, i.e. male and female parts are of different lengths. Example
long style and short stamens prevents pollen grains from reaching the stigmas.
 Flowers are herkogamous: there is a barrier between male and female parts e.g. Maize
Advantages of cross-pollination:
 Guarantee variation.
 Better chance of adapting to changing conditions.
 Production of more healthy seeds
Disadvantages of cross-pollination:
 Reliance on pollinators to carry the pollen to other plants.
 Pollen grains are likely to be wasted
 More complicated structures

Characteristics of Insect-pollinated flowers:

 Flowers are very conspicuous, with large, brightly coloured petals to attract insects.
 Flowers are often scented to attract insects
 Flowers have nectaries at the base which secrete nectar. This is food for the visiting
insects and birds
 Anthers produce little quantity of pollen grains
 Pollen grains are rough, spiny or sticky so that they can stick to the body of the insects or
animals.
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  The stigmas are broad or rounded and sticky for effective retention of pollen grains after
pollination.

Characteristics of Wind-pollinated flowers:

 They are often inconspicuous and are not brightly coloured.
 They are scentless
 They have no nectary
 Anthers ae comparatively large and loosely attached to long filaments exposed to the air
 Large quantities of pollen grains are produced.
 Pollen grains are usually tiny, light and smooth (powdery) so that they can be easily
carried by wind or air current.
 The styles are elongated to receive the pollen grains easily
 The stigmas are large, feathery with sticky surfaces to retain any pollen grain which lands
on them.

Differences between Insect and Wind Pollinated Flowers

Fertilisation:
 When a pollen grain lands on the stigma of a flower of the correct species, a pollen tube begins
to grow.

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 It grows down the style and into the ovary, where it enters a small hole, the micropyle, in an
ovule.
 The nucleus of the pollen then passes along the pollen tube and fuses with the nucleus of the
ovule.
 This process is called fertilisation.
Classwork 3 (10 marks)
1. Which of the following types of placentation is not common amongst syncarpous pistils?
(a) Marginal (b) Axile (c) Parietal (d) Free central
2. Placentation of plants is best described as the
(a) arrangement of ovules in the ovary (b) arrangement of fruits on the branches
(c) development of ovules in the ovary (d) formation of the pericarp from the ovary wall
3. Which of the following is not an example of entomophilous flower?
(a) Hibiscus (b) Flamboyant (c) Guinea grass (d) Allamanda
4. After fertilization in flowering plants, the zygote develops into the _________________________

5. What happens to the ovule of a flower after fertilization? It becomes________________________

6. The type of placentation illustrated in the diagram below is
(a) marginal. (b) parietal. (c). axile. (d). basal.

7. Which of the following statements best describes pollination? The transfer of pollen grain from
(a) anther to stigmas (b) stigmas to stamens (c) anther to ovary
(d) the anther of a flower to the stigma of another flower of a different species
8. The transfer of ripe pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the same flower is termed
(a) fertilization(b) self pollination (c) reproduction (d) conjugation

Assignment 1: (10 marks)

State five (5) differences between wind pollinated and insect pollinated flower