Plant Breeding And All.

Okay, I've decided. I don't know which flower/plant to breed for many reasons. One of them being is that a bunch of lilies is expensive, i can't automatically plant corn and hope for some results in the next two months. If anyone has any suggestions, please, feel free to comment and tell me.

If i'm going to start breeding, i must know the basics. Oh yeah! The website which i summarized and got my information from is http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/html_pubs/PLBREED/pl_breed.html

There are two types of plant selection: natural and artificial.
Here's a brief summary of each selection:

Natural: The process has taken place since the beginning of life on earth and is still occurring in nature. This process occurs in nature where strong and well adapted plants survive, compared to the weak and poorly adapted plants which die out.

Artificial: The process in which humans use to obtain desirable types of plants.

Two types of reproduction: sexual and asexual reproduction.

Sexual Reproduction: The most common type of reproduction for garden plants where the male and female germ cell unite and produce a seed. Most common because the plants originating from sexual reproduction differ from their parents and each other.

Asexual Reproduction: Also known as vegetative reproduction occurs without the fusion of male and female germ cells. Instead, a part of the plant is separated from the parent plant and then develops into a complete plant. For example, i actually did this in my Horticulture class. We cut the top of snake's tongue plant, and then planted it in a potted plant.

Parts of the Plant:
 This is a perfect flower, which contains the female and male organs, also known as the Stamen (male) and Pistil (female).

Plant anatomy isn't as awkward to talk about like it is hearing the male and female reproduction being taught in class. Back to the topic.

The Anther is a part of the Stamen, which produces pollen grains, which contain the male germ cells. At the base of the Pistil is the ovary, which as it produces ovules, contains the female germ cells. As the ovules are fertilized by the male germ cells, they develop into seeds in the ovary. Now onto whats outside the flower! The petals aid in pollination and protect the sex organs from physical damage. The sepals, which are often green, support the petals and protect the floral parts. The Stamens can be identified by the yellow powder a.k.a the pollen on their tips and the pistil by a bulge a.k.a the ovary at its base.

Types of flowers:

A perfect flower contains both the stamen and pistil (most common) and can be found as tomatoes, irises, and lilies.






An imperfect flower has only one sex organ. Examples of imperfect flowers are squash and spinach. 

 A composite flower is a cluster of small flowers a.k.a florets joined together in what is called a flower head. The florets resemble petals and some florets have both of the sex organs and are called disc florets. Unlike disc florets, ray florets only contain pistils. A composite flower can be made up of only disc florets or a combo of disc and ray florets. Examples are marigolds.


Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma (the surface of the pistil on which pollen grains are deposited in the process of pollination).

The process of pollination: As the anther matures, it splits open, discharging the pollen. The pollen is carried to stigma by various natural means, such as wind and insects.

There are two kinds of pollen transfers: cross and self.

Cross pollination is where the pollen is transferred from the anther of one plant to the stigma of a flower of another plant.

Self pollination is where the pollen is transferred from the anther to the stigma of the same flower or to another flower of the same plant.

Fertilization is when two germ cells unite in the ovule.

The process of fertilization: After the pollen rests on the stigma, the pollen develops a tube which grows downward through the style (the usually elongated portion of the pistil connecting the stigma and ovary) and into the ovule, under favorable conditions. As fertilization occurs, development of the ovule begins, resulting in a seed.

Enough background for tonight, more coming up!