What is the Function of Flowers?
What is the function of flowers?
Flowers are extremely attractive and draw the attention of everyone including birds, insects, animals, and human beings, but what exactly are the functions of these flowering blooms? What purpose do they serve as the most attractive parts of the plants?
Well, the answer is, the main function and uses of a flower is to aid the process of procreation or reproduction and hence flowers are the reproductive organs in the plant. The flowers are responsible for the pollen grains or the male gametes (sperm) of the plant to pollinate the ovules, the female gametes of the plant. The entire process of reproduction in plants is called pollination and the flowers play a starring role in process of pollination. Once fertilization occurs, the fertilized ovule produces seeds, which grow into young plants. Hence the function of a flower can be described as the one which facilitates reproduction or pollination to produce seeds, which in turn develop into plants and trees. The term anthesis refers to the duration of time during which a flower is fully bloomed and functional for pollination to occur.
Types of Pollination
Pollination can be classified into two main categories, abiotic pollination and biotic pollination. In abiotic pollination, the entire process of pollination occurs without the help of organisms. While a major portion of the plant ecology requires the mediation of insects or animals to bring about pollination only a small percentage of plants fall into the abiotic category.
Abiotic pollination is seen mostly in certain variety of grasses, conifers, and deciduous vegetation. In aquatic plants, however, pollination takes place with the help of water and this type of pollination is referred to as Hydrophily, in which water assists the process of pollination. Abiotic pollination is assisted mainly by wind and in aquatic plants by water. Hence, abiotic pollination is marked by the presence of wind.
Biotic pollination is the one that is extremely common and it requires the assistance of other organisms like insects and animals to bring about pollination. These agents that assist in the process of pollination are referred to as pollinators. These pollinators physically carry or transfer the pollen from the anther to the carpel or pistil to bring about pollination in plants. While there are more than two hundred thousand different types of pollinators, most pollinators belong to the insect family. Some very common pollinators are honeybees, wasps, ants and butterflies which are drawn to the flower to feed on the nectar and in the process have the pollen sticking to their legs and when they move from the flower in one plant to a flower in another plant they end up transferring these pollen to the pistil in the new flower, thereby brining about pollination.
There are some varieties of birds like the hummingbird and sunbirds which also bring about pollination in a similar manner.
Another question that comes to mind while discussing pollination is; what is the function of a flower to aid the process of pollination. Well, flowers design or cultivate themselves in a manner that attracts pollinators to them and a few methods by which flowers attract pollinators are as described below:
Mainly because plants are fixed to the soil and cannot move from place to place, flowers have to develop mechanisms that will draw insects and birds to them. While some insects like bees have the ability to appreciate color, flowers spring themselves in bright colors that will draw these insects to them and above all, the store the sweetest possible nectar in them to have these insects keep coming back for the nectar. Some birds and insects respond to smell, and hence flowers emit sweet fragrances in an attempt to attract birds and insects to them.
Thus, while the main function of a flower is to pollinate and reproduce, flowers do serve a host of commercial purposes and function as:
- Decorative and ornamental products
- Raw material for various cosmetics like perfumes, soaps, body lotions, shampoos, and hair oil.
- Medicinal purposes in preparing various tinctures, ointments etc.
- Culinary purposes and in cooking a range of cakes, ice-creams, and other food items.
- Major contributors to the ecosystem and maintaining a green planet, by propagating oxygen-producing flora and fauna in the environment.
Flowers have multiple functions, both physiologically and anatomically and serve different purposes all of which are extremely beneficial to mankind. That’s all about what is the function of flowers
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