What Are the Parts of Flowering Plants?

Flowering plants make up the largest of all the divisions of the plant kingdom. The parts of flowering plants are divided into two systems. One is a shoot system and the other is a root system. These systems are connected by internal tissue that starts in the root and ends in the shoot.

Root System

The root system is how flowering plants get nutrients and water from soil. While the roots anchor the flowering plant and keep it solidly implanted in the ground, they also take water and nutrients out of the soil. The water and nutrients are absorbed into the roots through root hairs that cover the outer surface of the roots. The root system also stores food for the flowering plant. Some flowering plants have roots underground, and other flowering plants have root systems above the ground.

Shoot System

The shoot system is how plants get food through photosynthesis and reproduce themselves. The flowering plant's shoot system is made up of the flowers, the leaves, and the plant stem. The stem supports the plant above the ground and transports water and nutrients throughout the entire plant. Tissues called phloem and xylem can be found inside the stem. Phloem and xylem are responsible for transporting water and nutrients to each plant part.

Leaves

The leaves are where food is produced for the flowering plant and where the plant obtains the energy from light and carbon dioxide that it needs for photosynthesis. The leaves are also where oxygen is released from the plant.
Flowering plants' leaves come in many shapes and sizes; however, they all have the same basic construction. Leaves contain the flat blade that makes up the broad part of the leaf, veins that transport nutrients and water to the blade, and a petiole that connects the stem and the leaf.

Flowers

The flowers of a flowering plant are responsible for reproduction. This is where seeds and fruit develop and grow that will eventually reproduce the flowering plant. Flowers comprised four parts that include carpels, stamens, petals, and sepals. The carpel is the female part of the flower, and the stamen is the male part of the flower.

Parts of the Flower

The sepal is the part of the flower that looks like a petal but is green. This part grows around the flower while it is in the bud stage. The petals are the colorful part of the flower that usually have attractive scents for insects and birds. The stamen produces the pollen through the anther and the filament. The carpel contains the stigma, the style, and the ovary necessary for flower reproduction. Complete flowering plants contain all four parts of the flower. Flowering plants that contain only a stamen or only a carpel are imperfect flowers.