General Stages in the Lifecycle of Flowering Plants

1. Flowering plants grow from seeds. Seeds contain a tiny embryo plant, together with stored food reserves. The seed is surrounded by a tough coat which protects it.

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2. Different kinds of plants produce different kinds of seeds. The seeds are often carried to new places away from the parent plant. Some may be blown by the wind, others may be carried by water and others by birds or   other animals.

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3. When a seed arrives in a suitable habitat, it may immediately start to grow (germinate). Some seeds however, need to remain dormant for some time before they will germinate.

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The bigger seeds are, the longer the seedling has to become properly established before it must make its own food. Small seeds, with few food reserves, must grow and reach the light quickly, so that they can start producing their own food. NEXT wpeCA.jpg (8442 bytes) 4. The first two leaves of a seedling often look different to the adult leaves. They are green and as soon as they open in the light, the little seedling can begin to make its own food. It is then no longer dependent on the food reserves in the seed. The seedling makes its own food using water, carbon dioxide from air and light, in a process known as photosynthesis.