Abortion in flowers and developing fruits is a common occurrence in plants. An abortive flower is a

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

that has a

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

but an under developed, or no

pistil Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

. It falls without producing fruit or seeds, due to its inability to fructify. Flowers require both male and female organs to reproduce, and the pistils and ovary serve as female organs, while the stamens are considered male organs. Illustrative examples include ''

Urginea nagarjunae ''Drimia indica'' is a species of flowering plant found from South Asia to South Africa. Description ''Drimia indica'' is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant which grows from bulbs. It has long leaves, typically 15–30 cm long by 1–2 ...

'' and ''

Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae ''Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae'' is an Australian bud-galling wasp from the family Pteromalidae that parasitises, among others, ''Acacia longifolia'' (long-leaved wattle, or Sydney golden wattle), which has become an invasive pest An ...

''. Studies have shown that hermaphrodites or bisexual flowers have higher rates of fruit abortions than unisexual flowers. Galls of Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae (Froggatt) 9798

Galls of Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae (Froggatt) 9798

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Causes of fruit & flower abortion

Pollinated flowers and fruits can abort selectively. It could be because of the order of pollination, the number of developing seeds, pollen source, or some combination of these. Flowers and fruits can also abort because of outside causes like insufficient light, unsuitable photo-period, high temperature, nutrient deficiency,

ethylene Ethylene (IUPAC name: ethene) is a hydrocarbon which has the formula or . It is a colourless, flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure. It is the simplest alkene (a hydrocarbon with carbon-carbon double bonds). Ethylene i ...

drought stress Drought tolerance is the ability to which a plant maintains its biomass production during arid or drought conditions. Some plants are naturally adapted to dry conditions'','' surviving with protection mechanisms such as desiccation tolerance, detox ...

. Evidently, the abortion of fruits and flowers can also increase the fitness of a plant. There is research to suggest that random selective abortions based on the timing of fertilization could increase the genetic quality of seeds. The age of the flower also has an effect on the percentage of abortion. The older the flower, the more likely it is to be aborting the fruit or pollen. Plants have also been found to selectively abort seeds and fruit as a means of defense against herbivorous insects. *

Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

Stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

References

Flowers Plant anatomy Plant reproduction {{botany-stub