| A flower, sometimes known
as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering
plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms).
The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm
with female ovum in order to produce seeds. The process begins with pollination,
is followed by fertilization, leading to the formation and dispersal of
the seeds. For the higher plants, seeds are the next generation, and serve
as the primary means by which individuals of a species are dispersed across
the landscape. The grouping of flowers on a plant are called the inflorescence.
In addition to serving
as the reproductive organs of flowering plants, flowers have long been
admired and used by humans, mainly to beautify their environment but also
as a source of food. |
