Plant reproduction
production of new individuals or offspring in plants
Plant reproduction is the production of new plants. It can be done by sexual or asexual reproduction.
Sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetics from both parents. Asexual reproduction produces new individuals genetically identical to the parent plants, except when mutations occur. Plants can do asexual reproduction in many more ways than animals. These are some of the ways:
Plants have ways they may get clones of the parent plant. Any piece of a plant may be used to grow a whole plant. This is called vegetative reproduction.
- Rhizomes or stolons reproduce a plant by extending its physical presence over a large area. That may be called vegetative growth.
- Apomixis is seeds not made by fertilisation of the embryos. Some big genera, like hawkweed, dandelion and Kentucky blue grass (Poa pratensis) all use this type of asexual reproduction.
- Adventitious buds may form on roots near the ground, or on damaged stems, or on old roots. These develop into above-ground stems and leaves.
- Suckering is sending out suckers which can become whole plants. It recreates the whole plant from a root system. Elm (Ulmus), Dandelion (Taraxacum), and many roses do this.
These are all natural methods of vegetative reproduction. Also there are many ways in which humans can get copies (clones) of a plant, mainly by taking "cuttings" and using grafting.