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A flower is a part of a plant. Flowers are also called the bloom or blossom of a plant. The flower grows on a stalk – a thin node – which supports it. Flowers have petals. Inside the part of the flower that has petals are the parts that produce seeds. See the fact file below for more information about flowers.
Below are some interesting facts on Flowers, alternatively, you can download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
General Facts
- A flower is sometimes known as a bloom or blossom.
- Flowers are the reproductive organs of a plant.
- They mediate the joining of the sperm, contained within pollen, to the ovules contained in the ovary.
- The four main parts of a flower are usually defined by their positions on the receptacle and not by their function.
- However, many flowers lack some part or parts that may be modified into other functions.
- The stem or stalk of a flower is called a peduncle.
- If a peduncle supports more than one flower, the stems connecting each flower to the main axis are called pedicels.
- Flowers show great variation, and plant scientists systematically describe these variations to identify and distinguish species.
Interesting Facts About Flowers
- Every state has a “state flower”.
- In 1986 Congress voted to officially confirm the rose as the National Flower of the United States.
- Americans bought more than 1.2 billion fresh-cut roses in 1996.
- Flowers and flowering plants play a very important role in nature.
- Not only are flowers beautiful, but their seeds, fruit, roots, stems, and leaves provide food for people and animals.
- Lilies are presumed to have originated from the Far East and are one of the oldest plants known.
- Tulips have an intricate history starting in 500 BC. The flower symbolizes immortality, life, and love.
- In the Seventeenth Century, the bulbs of tulips were worth more than precious metals like gold.
- Flowers have been used for centuries in medicines and toiletries.
- California is the source of nearly 60% of all the USA-grown fresh cut flowers.
- The world’s largest flower is the Titan Arum. It can be found in Sumatran rainforests and is called the Corpse Flower. It is approximately 2.5 yards. It is also the world’s smelliest.
- The world’s smallest flower is the Wolffia. Twelve Wolffia would fit on the head of a pin.
Structure of a Flower
- Flowers have two essential parts: the vegetative part, consisting of petals, and the reproductive part.
- Most flowers consist of four kinds of structures attached to the tip of a short stalk and arranged in a spiral of whorls.
- The main four main whorls, starting from the base of the flower (the lowest node) and working upwards, are as follows:
- The perianth which is the non-reproductive part of the flower and the structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs.
- The sepal which is usually green and typically functions as protection for the flower in bud. This often supports the petals when the flower is in bloom.
- The calyx which consists of leaf-like structures at the base of a flower that protects the flower during development.
- The corolla which is the next whorl toward the apex. This is composed of units called petals, which are typically thin, soft, and colored to attract animals that help the process of pollination.
- In species that have more than one flower on an axis, the collective cluster of flowers is termed an inflorescence.
- Some inflorescences are composed of many small flowers arranged in a formation that resembles a single flower.
- The transition from seed to flowering is one of the significant changes that plants make during the life cycle.
- The transition takes place at a time that is favorable for fertilization and the formation of seeds, hence ensuring maximal reproduction success.
- The beginning of the transition is the transformation of the vegetative stem primordia into floral primordia. This occurs as biochemical changes take place to change the cellular differentiation of leaf, bud, and stem tissues into tissue that will then grow into the reproductive organs.
- Growth of the central part of the stem tip stops or flattens out, and the sides develop protuberances around the outside of the stem end.
- These protuberances develop into either the sepals, petals, stamens, or carpels.
- In most plants, once this process begins, it cannot be reversed, and the stems develop flowers.
Pollination
- Flowers are the reproductive organs of a plant and they mediate the joining of the sperm to the ovules.
- This requires the process of pollination.
- Pollination is the movement of pollen from the anthers to the stigma.
- There are two types of pollination, self-pollination, and cross-pollination.
- Self-pollination happens when pollen from the anther is deposited on the stigma of the same flower or another flower on the same plant. Self-pollination occurs in flowers where the stamen and carpel develop and mature at the same time and are in such a position where the pollen can land on the flower’s stigma. This clever type of pollination does not require an investment from the plant to provide nectar and pollen as food for pollinators.
- Cross-pollination is when there is a transfer of pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another flower on a different specimen of the same species.
- Cross-pollination is preferable because it allows for genetic variation, which contributes to the survival of the species.
- External factors for pollination include wind, water, animals, and insects.
- Flowers have many different ways of attracting insects; some have glands called nectaries, and some have patterns called nectar guides. These show pollinators where to look for nectar. Some flowers attract insects with their scent.
- Some flowers have a special shape and an arrangement of their stamens. This ensures that pollen grains are transferred to the bodies of the pollinator when it lands in search of its attractant.
- Some flowers produce spores without fertilization.
- After fertilization, the ovary of the flower develops into a fruit containing seeds.
Allergies
- Pollen is a contributor to asthma and other respiratory allergies, which combined affect between 10 and 50% of people worldwide.
- Pollen is difficult to avoid because of its small size and prevalence in the natural environment.
- Most of the pollen which causes allergies is produced by wind-dispersed pollinators such as grasses.
Symbolism
- History shows us that flowers have been used by humans for thousands of years to serve a variety of purposes. An example of this is from about 4,500 years ago in Ancient Egypt, where flowers would be used to decorate women’s hair.
- Flowers have also inspired art such as in Monet’s Water Lilies and William Wordsworth’s poem about daffodils entitled “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”.
- In Western culture, many flowers have important symbolic meanings.
- The practice of assigning meanings to flowers is known as floriography.
- Some common examples include:
- Red roses, a symbol of love, beauty, and passion.
- Poppies, a symbol of consolation in time of death. In the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, red poppies are worn to commemorate soldiers who have died in times of war.
- Lily/irises, used in burials as a symbol referring to “resurrection/life”.
- Daisies, a symbol of innocence.
Use of Flowers
In modern times, people have sought many ways to cultivate, buy, wear or use flowers and flowering plants.
- Around the world, people use flowers to mark important events in their lives like weddings and christenings.
- Flowers such as rose, jasmine, chrysanthemum, Japanese honeysuckle, and chamomile, chosen for their fragrance and medicinal properties, are used to prepare a range of floral and herbal teas.
- Flower vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, and artichoke.
- Saffron, the most expensive spice, consists of dried stigmas of crocus and hops flowers used to flavor beer.
- Other flower spices are capers and cloves.
- Marigold flowers can be fed to chickens to give their egg yolks a golden yellow color, which consumers find more desirable.
- Honey consists of bee-processed flower nectar and is often named for the type of flower, e.g., orange blossom honey and clover honey.
- Hundreds of fresh flowers are edible. Only a few are marketed as food and they are often added to salads as a garnish.
Did You Know
- The broccoli we eat as a vegetable is actually a flower.
- Many centuries ago, tulips were more valuable than gold in the Netherlands.
- Some plants, such as orchids, do not need soil to grow. These unusual plants get all of their nutrients from the air.
Flowers Worksheets
This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Iroquois Tribe Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about the Iroquois who are a group of people speaking the Iroquoian family language comprising of North American Indian tribes: The Cayuga, Cherokee, Huron, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora.
Download includes the following worksheets:
- Flower Facts
- What Do You Call…
- Flower Word Search
- 4 Pictures, 1 Flower
- State Flowers
- What’s The Occasion
- Fact Or Fake
- Healing or Hygiene
- Draw, Describe, Define
- Caught On Camera
- Flowery Poetry
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular flowers?
The most popular flowers are roses, tulips, and lilies.
What is the prettiest flower?
The rose is considered the most beautiful flower in the world.
How many types of flowers are there in the world?
Roughly 400,000 different species of flowers are found on the planet.
What is the rarest flower?
The Middlemist’s Red Camellia is considered the rarest flower in the world.
Which is the largest flower in the world?
The flower with the world’s largest bloom is the Rafflesia arnoldii. This very rare flower is found in the rainforests of Indonesia, can grow to be 3 feet across, and weigh up to 15 pounds.
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Link will appear as Flower Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 15, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
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