There are many facts about flowers people love. The beauty, smell, and overall enjoyment people receive from flowers has been appreciated since humans first started walking the earth. Flowers rely on their power of persuasion to attract humans and animals to act as vectors in the transfer of pollen. The desire to obtain things like inexpensive wedding flowers and spring bouquet has led to florist shops growing into a billion dollar industry. In the U.S. alone the florist industry generates an estimated $7 billion in annual revenue. In celebration of their appeal and staying power, here are three facts about flowers pertaining to science.
1.) Magnoliophyta: This is the scientific name for any flowering plant. Also known as angiospermae, these are teh most diverse group of land plants in existence. By definition these are any plants that produce seeds within an enclosure. They are believed to have been around for over 200 million years. One of the oldest known lilies is the Madonna lily. It is white with yellow stamens and dates back about 3,000 years.
2.) Vegetative: Flowers generally consist of two main parts, the first being vegetative. This section contains the calyx and corolla which make up the perianth. These are the petals of the flower and the part that encloses the rest of the flower during the bud stage.
3.) Reproductive: The reproductive section also has two main parts, the androecium and gynoecium. The androecium contains teh stamens which is where pollen is formed and eventually dispersed. The gynoecium consists of the carpels which are hollow structures that produce ovules internally.
Currently there are over 36,000 combined brick-and-mortar and online florist shops in the United States. It’s an industry that employs an estimated 90,427 people. The scientific stuff doesn’t get most people excited about flowers though. The facts about flowers that are universally respected are the beauty and romantic emotions they invoke both practically and symbolically.