angiospermat

Angiospermat, commonly referred to as angiosperms or flowering plants, is the largest clade of land plants. The term angiospermat is not widely used in modern taxonomy; the established term is angiosperm, referring to all plants in the clade Angiospermae or Angiosperms. Angiosperms are characterized by seeds formed inside a protective ovary that typically develops into a fruit, and by the production of flowers which house the reproductive organs.

A defining feature of angiosperms is double fertilization: one sperm cell fertilizes the egg to form a diploid zygote, while another sperm fuses with two polar nuclei to form a triploid endosperm that nourishes the developing embryo. The gametophytes are highly reduced; the male gametophyte is the pollen grain, and the female gametophyte develops within the ovule inside the ovary. After fertilization, the zygote and endosperm develop into the seed within the fruit, while the parent plant remains the dominant sporophyte.

Angiosperms are incredibly diverse, with more than 300,000 species. They are classified into major lineages including monocots, eudicots, and basal angiosperms such as magnoliids. They occupy nearly every habitat and display a wide range of forms, from small herbaceous plants to large trees. Their success is driven in part by interactions with pollinators and seed dispersers, which promote diversification and ecological expansion. Economically, angiosperms provide staple foods (such as rice, wheat, and maize), fruits, vegetables, oils, fibers, timber, and medicines.