Features of Angiosperm

Most of the plants bear flowers, and flowering plants are known as Angiosperms. On the other hand, there are many plants that never bear flowers throughout their life cycle but they show other traits. Such non-flowering plants are called gymnosperms. There are about 250,000 known flowering plants on the planet. Angiosperms cover approximately 80% of all known land plants. Flowering plants consist of seeds enclosed within a fruit. They are the source of food. Interestingly, the Angiosperms came from common ancestors of gymnosperms. Yet the two have completely different characteristics. Keep on reading to learn more information about the features of Angiosperm. 

What are Angiosperms?

Angiosperms or flowering plants are the vascular plants that produce seeds enclosed in a plant organ. Additionally, they contain roots, leaves, fruits, and stems. They have numerous petals and sepals. Moreover, Angiosperms consist of ovaries and ovules. Therefore, pollination can be seen to carry pollen grains from male reproductive organs to female reproductive organs. 

The name of this group of plants is derived from the Greek words: angio and sperm. Angio means covered, while Sperma means seed. The most diverse and dominant group of plants, Angiosperms, were known by Magnoliophyta in early times. They belong to Kingdom Plantae. Hence, the habitat of trees, shrubs, bushes, and other terrestrial plants is suitable for the colonisation of Angiosperms. They can be differentiated from gymnosperms by their ability to produce endosperms within seeds. In addition to this, Angiosperms produce seeds, whereas gymnosperms do not produce seeds. 

Some features of Angiosperms are discussed in the notes. Have a look.

Features of Angiosperms

Though Angiosperms have different features compared to gymnosperms. Scientifically speaking, the flowers of Angiosperms are diverse. Below are listed some key features of Angiosperms. Also, find the differences between gymnosperms and angiosperms here.

1] Flowers as reproductive organs

In flowering plants, flowers are the most remarkable structure for the process of reproduction. Therefore, they are considered reproductive organs. They also play a major role in fertilising the ovule to form fruits. Flowers have both male and female reproductive organs. In angiosperms, both the reproductive organs are present in the same flower. The outermost layer of the flower has sepals or flower buds. Bright-coloured petals cover the adjacent area of the sepals.

2] Stamens and Carpels 

The slender microsporophylls organised into the flower are called the stamen. One stamen has four microsporangia or two pairs of pollen sacs. Stamen helps in the prevention of self-fertilisation. It is a typical feature of angiosperms.

Carpels are one of the defining characteristics of angiosperms. The female reproductive organ of a flower consists of a stigma, a style, and an ovary. It is a long tube-like structure present in the gynoecium of a flower. 

3] Ovary and Ovule

The ovary is a basal part of the carpel connected to a tube-like structure known as stigma. At the base of megasporophyll, the ovary contains ovules fertilised by pollen grains to develop the carpal into a fruit.

4] Angiosperms are heterosporous

The angiosperms produce two kinds of spores: microspores and megaspores. Microspores can also be referred to as pollen grains. On the other hand, mega sports are the female cells present in the ovule. 

5] Endosperm formation through fertilisation

When the pollen grains are transported to the stigma of the carpel through insects or other organisms, this process is called pollination. The male gamete present in the pollen grains on reaching the female reproductive organ fertilises with the ovule. As a result, endosperm formation takes place. In general, it provides nutrients to both developing embryos and cotyledons. Both triploid and diploid endosperms are formed after fertilisation.

Classification of Angiosperms

Angiosperms are monocotyledons and dicotyledon seeds. The monocotyledon seeds have a single cotyledon, while plants with dicotyledon seeds have two cotyledons. It is a distinct feature of angiosperms. 

Monocotyledonous plants are those that have only one set of leaves. The presence of adventitious roots, simple leaves with parallel venation, and trimerous blooms are all characteristics of monocots.

Plants that are dicotyledonous have two cotyledons and a tap root system. In the leaves, the venation is reticulated. Tetramerous and pentamerous flowers exist. Vascular bundles are usually grouped in a ring and range from two to six in number.

• Examples of monocotyledons include bamboo, banana, sugarcane, etc. 
• Examples of dicotyledons include dandelions, grapes, sunflowers, etc. 

Conclusion

This article provides a detailed overview of the features of Angiosperms; it covers what are gymnosperms giving two characteristics. It also contains classification and examples of Angiosperms to understand the topic better. Remember that in Angiosperms, seeds remain enclosed in the fruits. They also serve as food resources for animals. Therefore, all the distinct features of Angiosperms make them advantageous to all living organisms. These flowering plants have evolved remarkably to adapt to the changing environment. Further, we will look into a few important questions on the topic that frequently arise.