How important are Flowers?
Most of our foods and medicines are derived from flowers. Flower, (French flo(u)r) (Latin florem flos)
Flower also known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flower plants, the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms. The flower structure contains the plant's organs, and its function is to produce seeds through reproduction. For the higher plants, seeds are the next generation, and serve as the primary means by which individuals of a species are dispersed across the landscape either by pollination from insects, birds, bats or the wind. After fertilization, portions of the flower develop into a fruit containing the seeds. The grouping of flowers on a plant is called the inflorescence. In addition to serving as the reproductive organs of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and used by humans, mainly to beautify their environment but also as a source of food. Many flowers in nature have evolved to attract animals to pollinate the flower, the movements of the pollinating agent contributing to the opportunity for genetic recombination within a dispersed plant population. Flowers that are insect-pollinated are called entomophilous (literally "insect-loving"). Flowers commonly have glands called nectaries on their various parts that attract these animals. Birds and bees are common pollinators: both having color vision, thus opting for "colorful" flowers. Some flowers have patterns, called nectar guides, that show pollinators where to look for nectar; they may be visible to us or only under ultraviolet light, which is visible to bees and some other insects. Flowers also attract pollinators by scent. Many of their scents are pleasant to our sense of smell, but not all. Some plants, such as Rafflesia, the titan arum, and the North American pawpaw (Asimina triloba), are pollinated by flies, so they produce a scent imitating rotting meat. Flowers pollinated by night visitors such as bats or moths are especially likely to concentrate on scent which can attract pollinators in the dark rather than color: most such flowers are white.
The first evidence of a flower was found in a fossil, named Archaefructus, believed to be 125 million years old. Hengduan Mountain Region in southwest China is believed to be the birthplace of all flowers. Hengduan Mountain Region contains about 30,000 species of flowering plants and ferns, compared to about 20,000 for all of North America north of Mexico. Amborella trichopoda is believed to be the first flower based on DNA evidence. And ever since then, flowers have been an essential part of our history, our spiritual growth and an inspiration for millions. They have found a way into our hearts, by sight and smell, giving enlightenment and self realization. So it is no surprise that flowers are National Symbols, State Symbols and symbolic to many beliefs and teachings around the world. Rafflesia arnoldii is the world's largest flower at 3 feet across. Found in the Sumatra and Borneo regions of Indonesia. Its odor has been described as similar to rotting flesh.
Another large flower is the rare and threatened Amorphophallus titanum plant that grows an incredible 6 to 7 inches a day & also emits a strong odor, thus the name 'corpse flower'. Wolffia flower is the worlds smallest flower which floats on the surface of quiet streams and ponds. The entire plant, flower and all, is less than a millimeter long. A bouquet of a dozen could fit on the head of a pin These are just some of the things that I have learned about flowers, and all because of that one day in the spring of 2004, I decided to take a super macro close up of a flower, and after viewing it on my computer screen, I realized I have been over looking one of the most fascinating things this world has ever created, flowers. |
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