What is Angiosperms?

Angiosperms are flowering plants whose seeds develop inside an ovary. A fruit often develops from the mature ovary and can help protect and disperse seeds.

From flower to fruit and seed

In angiosperms, flowers are the structures where pollen and ovules form. After pollination, a pollen tube can grow and fertilization takes place in an ovule. The ovule becomes a seed, and in most species the ovary becomes a fruit. Angiosperms have a process called double fertilization: one sperm cell fuses with the egg, while another contributes to the development of food-storage tissue. This is an important feature of flowering-plant reproduction. Not every flower is large or colorful; inconspicuous wind-pollinated flowers also occur.

Abundance and diversity

Angiosperms occur in grasslands, forests, wetlands, agricultural systems, and many other terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Herbs, trees, shrubs, and many crops belong to this group. Their diverse pollination and fruit-dispersal strategies support ecological variety. Bees are important pollinators, but birds, bats, other animals, and wind also play roles. In botany, “fruit” is not limited to sweet edible produce; dry capsules and the structures of grains are also related to fruit development. Understanding angiosperm diversity involves studying food production and ecological relationships together.