FW: Flowers and plant reproduction

[Alok Kumar]

I have also been trying to get this information for quite some time.
Several ancient texts have compared plants with the human beings in their
functions. In Vedas and upanishads, plants are known to have life (born
and death), hearing power, healing power, sense of touch, etc.  In such a
comparison with animals and human beings, reproduction and gender is a
natural curiousity.  Please share any information you have with the list
on the similarities and differences between plant-life and animal-life,
along with the information on reproduction.

Alok Kumar
Department of Physics
State University of New York
Oswego, NY 13126.


On Thu, 30 Apr 1998, Angus Murphy wrote:

> Dear Indologists,
>         I am currently researching some aspects of the history of the
> study of flowering plants for some popular science writing. One of the
> most crucial issues in such a history is that of sexual reproduction by
> plants. Although the Greeks appear to have understood that some plants
> like the date palm were unable to fertilize themselves and recognized
> two different flower types, pollen was regarded as a form of excrement
> rather than an agent of fertilization.
>
        So far, in my amateur inquiries into early Indian writings, I find
references to male and female flowers based on their shape or form and
descriptions of pollen as dust, but no specific mention of hybridization
or pollination. Yet there are some poetic texts that seem to include
pollen gathering by bees in metaphors for amorous pastimes. Are ther any
sources ( In English or another Western language) that I can be directed
to? > Any information offered would be appreciated and , if used, would be
properly attributed.  > Thanking you in advance for any assistance.  >
Sincerely, > Angus Murphy > Biology Dept.  > University of California,
Santa Cruz >