What is the Main Function of Flowers

While we may not think of plant reproduction as being the same as that of animals, the basic function is surprisingly similar. A flower, also known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive part of a specific group of plants. Flowers are such an important aspect of plant life that plants which produce them are called flowering plants. This distinguishes them from ferns and mosses, which reproduce without flowers.

Flowering plants reproduce by pollination. This most commonly happens through cross-pollination (xenogamy), whereby other vectors transport pollen from the male reproductive parts of one flower to the female reproductive parts of another.

However, some flowers are capable of self-pollination. This is when the pollen of a flower pollinates the same flower or another flower on the same plant. In terms of flower structure, a "perfect" flower has both male and female reproductive parts. Such flowers are called bisexual or hermaphroditic. A monoecious plant bears separate male and female flowers on the same plant.

Dioecious flowering plants have male reproductive parts on flowers of one plant and female on another. These plants cannot self-pollinate. To get a better idea of how a flower reproduces, we can look at this infographic:

Pollination is the transfer of pollen, while fertilization happens later, when a pollen grain reaches an ovule. This distinction matters because successful pollination is the first step toward producing seeds.

The male part of a flower is the stamen. It often has two main parts: the filament and the anther. The filament supports the anther and may position it where pollen-carrying vectors can brush against it. It can be long and flexible, helping the anther reach them. On top of the filament is the anther. This houses the pollen sacs where the pollen is created.

Something you may not have known about pollen is that it is similar to astronaut food. This is because pollen is often relatively dry while on the stamen, which helps keep it light and easier for insects and animals to carry.

This is where the female reproductive part of flowers comes in. This is commonly known as the pistil (see above). The pistil holds the female reproductive system of the flower. At the top is the stigma. Pollen from the male part is transferred to the stigma, where it can germinate. A pollen tube then grows down the style (the elongated part of the pistil) and into the ovary, allowing male reproductive cells to reach an ovule.

This is why many flowers have attractive bright colors on their petals. Vectors are the modes by which pollination occurs. If it is a self-pollinating plant, then it is its own vector. However, cross-pollinating plants need something else. This can be as simple as the wind, but often involves insects, birds and other animals.

Some plants are pollinated by wind rather than animals. Their flowers are often less showy, since they do not need to attract visitors, and they may release light pollen that can travel through the air.

For bees, perhaps the most common pollinator (vector), they are attracted to the flower as they know they have nectar inside. As the bee eats the nectar, pollen gets attached to the minute hairs on the bee's body and legs. The bee then transports it to another flower and pollination can occur.

This leads us to the next important function of a flower: the creation of seeds and fruit. After the ovules are fertilized, they develop inside the flower into seeds. Seeds are essential for plants to create new plants, and in flowering plants, the ovary develops into a fruit that can protect the seeds. The fruit, while often delicious for animals, insects and (believe it or not) humans, is usually there for another purpose - to protect the seeds.

So-called simple fruits develop from flowers with a single ovary and may contain one or more seeds. An example of such a fruit is a tomato, which develops from a flower with just one ovary. There are also other fruits called aggregate fruits that develop from a flower with more than one ovary. They tend to have a more complex form, strawberries being just one example.

Flower parts often fall away as the fruit develops. This helps us to understand the main function of the flower. If the flower falls away as the fruit develops, then its main function is now gone. However, without it the fruit would never have existed in the first place.

Both fruit and flowers show just how important our relationship is with plants. We live in symbiosis together. Many flowering plants depend on animals (humans being animals in this instance) to eat fruit or transport pollen. Eating fruit is a way for seeds to be dispersed, whether through discarding them or even after defecation.

Once a seed reaches a suitable place, it can germinate and grow into a new plant. The fruit's shape, texture and timing of ripening can all affect how seeds are carried away from the parent plant.

We put flowers in our homes to brighten them up, but there is a more innate reason they have been the subject of innumerable paintings throughout the ages. They are a sign of life, of the survival of our species.

It is not just the look of flowers which makes us so enticed by flowers. They can also smell (and taste) amazing to us. These scents are a way to draw animals to the plant. Similarly, some plants give off a terribly foul odor. Such a flower is the Rafflesia arnoldii, otherwise known as the corpse flower. This terrible odor may put off many humans and animals, but its smell of decay actually draws in insects which would normally be attracted to rotting organic material.

Not all flowers are edible to humans, but there are usually more than you might think. Zucchini flowers are one such flower which has been known to be enjoyed by humans. They may not taste like the sweet nectar which many insects are on the lookout for, but the flowers still serve the plant's reproductive role by attracting pollinators.

Some plants produce fruit without mature seeds; these are known as parthenocarpic fruits. They develop without mature seeds, rather than acting as decoys to protect seeds in other fruit. Some may taste sweeter and be more attractive to animals.

So, the main function of the flower is all to do with reproduction. If they didn't attract pollinators, they wouldn't be able to reproduce. If flowering plants didn't reproduce, our lives and the ecosystems we depend on would be very different. The function of flowers is to create life. Without them, we wouldn't have any. By producing seeds, flowering plants pass traits to the next generation and help ensure that their species can continue.

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