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Organisms reproduce during the reproductive phase. Sexual maturity in higher plants is reached when plants start flowering. Flowering plants are of two types, monocarpic and polycarpic.

• Plants where both female and male reproductive parts are present in the same plant are called the monoecious plants.
• Dioecious plants are those plants where the male and female reproductive parts are present in separate plants.
• Polycarpic plants are those flowering plants that produce flower throughout their lifetime multiple times.

Monocarpic plants are those plants that flower only once in their lifetime. After flowering, they produce fruits and die. They produce a large number of fruits. Monocarpic plants include all annual and biennial plants. Some perennial plants such as bamboo are monocarpic plants, bamboos flower only once in their lifetime, usually after 50-100 years.