Yesterday we had a discussion about cauliflower.
I was told that a cauliflower was literally a sterile “flower”.
But if it doesn’t have stamens, or doesn’t get true flowers, how does it reproduce?
Then the question was whether a cauliflower might have been man-made by selection on seeds?
In short, are there plants that do not reproduce themselves, and if so, why do they still exist?
Answer
Dear Lieven
Actually, the cauliflower is a pre-florigen organ, so a precursor to the actual flowers. If you let a cauliflower grow long enough, you will see that the cauliflower becomes an increasingly loose structure and will form flower stalks. Then you get flowers and seed. So a cauliflower is simply multiplied by seed.
Answered by
ir Rudi Aerts
life sciences horticulture plant protection
http://www.thomasmore.be
.