Know the parts of a flower
The flowers are colorful, cheerful and many of them have very pleasant aromas. These serve as food for insects, birds and other animals. Humans also eat some flowers and make tea, oils and medicines from them. However, the function of flowers goes far beyond their beauty or fragrance and utility; they are the reproductive organ of plants known as spermatophytes. The main function of flowers is to produce seeds, through which plants ensure their propagation.
The main parts of the flower are as follows:
Calyx: is a green leaf-like structure that protects and supports the flower petals. The calyx is made up of sepals.
Corolla: is formed by the petals of the flower. The petals are often showy and colorful to attract insects that help with pollination.
Stamen: is the male part of the flower that produces pollen. It contains the filament and the anther.
Pistil: is each unit of the female organ of the flower. It contains the ovaries, style and stigma and constitutes a carpel.
How do flowering plants reproduce?
Flowering plants reproduce through a process called pollination, which involves the transfer of pollen from one flower to another flower.
In order for the ovary of a flowering plant to develop into a seed, it must receive pollen. This can happen in different ways. For example, insects such as bees are attracted to bright, scented flowers. When the bee approaches the flower to collect nectar, the pollen sticks to its hind legs. The sticky stigma of another flower catches the pollen when the bee lands or flies near it.
Some flowers use the wind to transport pollen. Their dangling stamens produce a large amount of pollen that is light enough to be carried by the wind. Its flowers are generally small and not very colorful. The stigmas of these flowers are sticky and hang down outside the flower to catch the pollen as it passes by.
Did you know . . . ?
✔ Rafflesias are the largest flowers in the world. This flower can weigh up to 24 pounds (11 kilograms) and grow as large as an adult’s torso. In addition to being huge, they also smell like rotten meat.
✔ Sunflowers get this name because they literally turn their stems and flowers towards the sun’s rays.
✔ Although you probably won’t see them in a flower arrangement; cauliflower and broccoli are flowers. They both belong to the Brassicaceae family.
✔ In Mexico there is a flower with red petals and a brown interior known as the incarnate cosmos or chocolate flower, and as its name indicates, its aroma is the same as that of chocolate.