Angiosperms
Unlike gymnosperms, whose seeds are exposed to weather, animals, and people, angiosperms have their seeds surrounded by flowers, which can offer incredible protection. Many of these plants have an inner layer that surrounds the seed, storing food and protecting it from harm, and an outer layer that protects the seed from the elements or animal attacks. Flowers are also reproductive elements. The stamen produces pollen, which is used to fertilize the egg in the carpel. The result is more seeds. Angiosperms can have one of two kinds of seeds, monocots or dicots. Monocots have one package of food. They have leaves made of long strands, and petals in groups of three. Monocots include grass, palm trees, lilies, and corn. Dicots have two packages of food. They have flowers with four or five petals and complex leaves with veins. Dicots include apple trees, cherry trees, roses, sunflowers, and cacti. Angiosperms are very important to agriculture. The grass family of monocots includes rice, corn, wheat, barley, rye, oats, millet, sugar, and sorghum. The crops of these plants are used to feed people and livestock. Other monocots that are grown in large numbers to feed people and animals are potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins. The dicot fruit trees provide food for people and animals as well.