The Main Purpose of a Flower

The purpose of a flower is to help a plant reproduce. Because flowers use the help of bugs, birds and other animals to do this, flowers have evolved to be attractive.

Flowering plants are angiosperms, which are plants that create fruit with seeds. The flower as an organ of reproduction is successful enough that angiosperms are the most common plant found on land.

Pollen is produced in the male part of flowers. When creatures or the wind pick it up and fertilizes ovules, a female part of flowers, it is known as pollination.

With their male and female parts, flowering plants employ sexual reproduction. The male part of a flower is the androecium, with stamens that produce pollen. The female part is the gynoecium, with carpals that might be blended into one structure called a pistil.

The attractive attributes of flowers have evolved to entice a variety of creatures to the plant, where they pick up and redistribute pollen. Showy, colorful appearance, aroma and sweet nectar are methods of bringing creatures to a flower.

A flower with male and female parts is considered a perfect flower because it can reproduce without another flower. Those with male or female parts alone are called imperfect or unisexual.

Male and female flowers can occur on the same plant. These are called monoecious plants. When only one kind of flower is found on a plant, it is dioecious.