Floral Biology and Pollination Systems for Hybrid Seed Production in Plants
摘要
Angiosperms, the most diverse group of plants, are seed plants with flowers and enclosed ovaries. They dominate the plant kingdom, constituting 80% of known green plants. Angiosperms have a sporophyte-dominant life cycle, where the mature plant produces spores that develop into male and female gametophytes. These gametophytes are microscopic and dependent on the sporophyte for nutrition. Fertilization involves pollen grains (microspores) reaching the ovule (megaspore) and germinating a pollen tube. One sperm fertilizes the egg, forming the embryo, while another fuses with polar nuclei to create the endosperm, a food source for the developing embryo. The number of cotyledons (seed leaves) in the embryo determines if the plant is a monocot (one cotyledon) or a dicot (two cotyledons). This chapter highlights the unique features of angiosperm floral characteristics, classification, and pollination behavior that ultimately result in fruitful fertilization and hybrid seed production.