SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN FLOWERING

PLANTS

 All flowering plants show sexual reproduction.

 In this chapter, let us understand the
o Morphology
o structure and
o the processes of sexual reproduction in flowering plants (angiosperms).

FLOWERS

 floriculture - the study of growing and marketing flowers and foliage plants.
 Flowers are the sites of sexual reproduction.
 Parts of Flower –
o Calyx - Sepal
o Corolla - Petal
o Androecium – Stamen – Male Reproductive Structure
o Gynoecium – Pistil – Female Reproductive Structure

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PRE-FERTILISATION: STRUCTURES AND EVENTS

Floral Primordia

 With help of many hormones, structural changes occur generally at the tip of a stem
leading to a precursor of flower Known as Flower Primordia.
 These floral primordia remain arranged on inflorescences in the form of floral buds.

Stamen, Microsporangium and Pollen Grain

Stamen

 Male reproductive structure in the flower.

 The number and length of stamens are variable in flowers of different species.
 Consists of two parts
o Filament - the long and slender stalk
o Anther –
 terminal generally bilobed structure
 each lobe having two theca, i.e., they are dithecous.
 a longitudinal groove runs lengthwise separating the theca.
 Thus, the anther is a four-sided (tetragonal) structure consisting of four
microsporangia located at the corners, two in each lobe.
 Microsporangia develop further and become pollen sacs.

 The proximal end of the filament is attached to the thalamus or the petal of the flower.

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Structure of microsporangium

 Appears almost Circular in outline in transverse section.

 It is surrounded by four wall layers
o Epidermis
o Endothecium
o Middle layers
o Tapetum
 The outer three wall layers perform the function of protection and help in dehiscence of anther.
 Innermost layer Tapetum nourishes the developing pollen grains. Cells of the tapetum possess
dense cytoplasm and generally have more than one nucleus.
 In young anther the center is represented by compactly arranged homogenous cells called
Sporogenous Tissue.

Microsporogenesis
 The process of formation of microspores is called Microsporogenesis.
 Due course of time, the cells of Sporogenous tissues undergo meiotic division and form
Microspore Tetrads.

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