There are tremendous variations in flowers between plants of different species, and various ways of categorizing plants based on flower characteristics. Among the most basic classification is separation based on the number of flower parts. Monocotyledons (including grasses, orchids, lilies, and palms) consist of flower parts (such as stamens or petals) in groups of three. Dicotyledons (such as most broadleaf plants) contain flower parts in groups of four or five. Flowers containing only the bare minimum number of parts (as opposed to some multiple of the basic number), are called simple flowers.
A second way to categorize flowers is based on the presence or absence of typical flower structures.Tulips for example lack the protective green sepals found on other flowers, and instead have modified green leaves that slowly change color to resemble petals. These tepals are in fact neither flower nor petal, and hence tulips are described as an incomplete, as opposed to a complete, flower.
Flowers that contain both male and female reproductive parts—stamen and pistil—are sometimes called perfect flowers. Flowers bearing only the male or female parts are called imperfect. In addition, some plants will bear both separate male and female flowers (such as squash), or flowers with both male and female parts (such as apple) on a single plant. These are called monoecious. Other plants (including willow, holly, and sumac) have female and male flowers on separate plants. These are called dioecious, and plants with both flower types are needed for pollination to occur.
Finally, flowers may occur individually or as clusters of multiple flowers called an inflorescence. Sometimes the flowers of an inflorescence will be fused into a single structure that is sometimes mistaken for a single flower. Sunflowers, coneflowers (Figure 4.2), and dandelions are classic examples of this—a single sunflower head, called a composite flower, is made up of hundreds of individual flowers. Other inflorecences include the spike with multiple flowers fused directly to a single stalk without individual stems. The flowers of Liatris (Figure 4.3), yucca, and Culver’s root are all examples of spike inflorescences. The raceme is an inflorescence with flowers attached to a single stalk via short stems, such as bellflower (Figure 4.4), foxglove, penstemon, and delphinium. A panicle is a raceme in which the individual flower stems are compoundly branched, like Joe-Pye weed (Figure 4.5), hydrangea, and crape myrtle blossoms. Finally an umbel consists of multiple flower stems arising from a single point on the tip of a stalk. Common umbelliferous flowers include Golden Alexanders (Figure 4.6), carrot, dill, and yarrow.
Flower is the main reproductive part of the plant. It is made up of four whorls and out of them two outer whorls are the calyx and corolla. The inner two whorls are androecium or the male part of the flower and gynoecium or the female part of the flower.
Annuals, perennials, and biennials are the three main types of flowers, each with its own subcategories, as well. Annual flowers like sunflowers germinate, grow, flower, produce seed, and finally die all in a single year.
The three largest flowering plant families containing the greatest number of species are the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae) with about 24,000 species, the Orchid Family (Orchidaceae) with about 20,000 species, and the Legume or Pea Family (Fabaceae) with 18,000 species.
The Middlemist Red Camellia, or Camellia japonica 'Middlemist's Red,' is an exceptionally rare flower with vibrant pinkish-red petals. With only two known living specimens in the world, both located in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, it holds the title of the rarest flowering plant on Earth.
A complete flower is a plant biology term that refers to a flower that is made up of four parts: sepals, petals, pistils, and stamens. If any of these four pieces, which are essential in the formation of a flower, is absent, the flower is referred to as an incomplete flower.
Most flowers have four main parts: sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. The stamens are the male part whereas the carpels are the female part of the flower. Most flowers are hermaphrodite where they contain both male and female parts. Others may contain one of the two parts and may be male or female.
Flowers are the essence to survival on this planet. Provides food, medicine, pollination, honey, perfumes, dyes, insect repellents, dyes, decoration, breeding and beauty for the eyes to see. Bees use nectar to make honey, growth of flowers is good for insects, larva and also birds.
Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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