UNISEXUAL FLOWER Meaning and
Definition
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Unisexual flowers, also known as imperfect flowers, are flowering plants that possess either male or female reproductive structures but not both within a single flower. These flowers are categorized by their inability to produce both male and female reproductive organs, such as stamens (male) and pistils (female), in the same flower.
Unisexual flowers are regarded as "imperfect" since they lack the complete sexual apparatus required for sexual reproduction within one flower. Consequently, these flowers require pollination from another flower of the opposite sex to achieve fertilization and produce seeds. Some common examples of unisexual flowers include those of cucumbers, pumpkins, corn, and holly plants.
Unisexual flowers are a result of a plant's reproductive strategy, promoting outcrossing and increasing genetic diversity in the offspring. By developing distinct male and female flowers, the plant ensures the fertilizing agents, such as wind or pollinators, transfer pollen from one flower to another, guaranteeing cross-fertilization.
The primary advantage of possessing unisexual flowers lies in maximizing the chances of successful sexual reproduction by increasing the exchange of genetic material. This strategy enhances the adaptability and survival prospects of the plant population, allowing them to thrive in diverse environmental conditions.
Overall, unisexual flowers represent a unique evolutionary adaptation of flowering plants, ensuring efficient pollination and the successful continuation of their species by depending on external agents for inter-flower pollen transfer.
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One which has but one sexual element, either the male (stamens) or the female (pistil).
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for UNISEXUAL FLOWER
- ynisexual flower
- hnisexual flower
- jnisexual flower
- inisexual flower
- 8nisexual flower
- 7nisexual flower
- ubisexual flower
- umisexual flower
- ujisexual flower
- uhisexual flower
- unusexual flower
- unjsexual flower
- unksexual flower
- unosexual flower
- un9sexual flower
- un8sexual flower
- uniaexual flower
- unizexual flower
- unixexual flower
- unidexual flower
Etymology of UNISEXUAL FLOWER
The word "unisexual" is derived from the Latin prefixes "uni-" meaning "one" and "sexus" meaning "sex". "Flower" comes from the Old French word "flour" which itself has Latin origins from "flos" meaning "blossom" or "flower". Therefore, the term "unisexual flower" refers to a flower that contains reproductive organs of only one sex, either male or female.
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