Abortive flower

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/abortive-flower

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the biological mechanism?Developmental arrest of floral primordia due to environmental or intrinsic factors
2. What is the reproductive strategy?Overproduction of floral buds as an adaptive mechanism to ensure reproductive success
3. Why do some flowers stop growing before they bloom?Flowers can abort because of things like not enough light, water, or nutrients, or because of heat or cold. These conditions can signal the plant to stop the bud from growing.
4. How do plants decide to abort a flower bud?The plant checks how much energy it has and how likely the flower can succeed. If it thinks the flower would use too much energy, it stops the bud from growing.

Anthesis: The process or period of flowering, specifically the opening of a flower bud.
Floral Primordia: The earliest stage of development of a floral organ, such as a petal or stamen.
Fitness: An organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.