Plant reproduction
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Plant reproduction is the production of new individuals or offspring in plants, which can be accomplished by sexual or asexual means. Sexual reproduction produces offspring by the fusion of gametes, resulting in offspring genetically different from the parent or parents. Asexual reproduction produces new individuals without the fusion of gametes, genetically identical to the parent plants and each other, except when mutations occur. In seed plants, the offspring can be packaged in a protective seed, which is used as an agent of dispersal.
Sexual expression
Many plants have evolved a complex sexuality, which is expressed in different combinations of their reproductive organs. Some species have separate male and female individuals, but the majority of plants have both male and female parts in the same flower. Some plants change their gender expression depending on a number of factors like age, time of day, or because of environmental conditions. Plant sexuality also varies within different populations of some species.
