Flowering plants are the most recently evolved group of plants on earth, first appearing in the fossil record approximately 125 million years before present during the Cretaceous Period. They represent the largest and most diverse assemblage of land plants, with 64 orders, 416 families, approximately 13,000 known genera and 300,000 known species.[1]
Flowering plants are botanically classified as angiosperms, plants that reproduce with flowers and produce seeds enclosed within an ovary. Following pollination, the mature ovary develops into a fruit, hence their name, angiosperm or “seed vessel.”
The angiosperm’s combination of floral structure, color, fragrance, and nectar serve to attract pollinators who transfer pollen that results in fertilization and seed development. Most angiosperms have co-evolved with myriad pollinators, notably insects, but also include certain birds and mammals. Nearly 80% of flowering plants depend upon animal pollinators to produce seeds and fruits.
Similarly, numerous wild and domesticated grasses are dependent on wind pollination, notably crop plants like wheat, corn, and rice, as are nut trees, maples, and oak trees.
Humans depend upon flowering plants for food, fuel, fiber, and medicine. Moreover, flowering plants along with other non-flowering plants convey critical ecosystem services. Plants create the base of food chains in most ecosystems, aid in soil formation and nutrient cycling, and help to regulate greenhouse gases that impact the climate by sequestering carbon through photosynthesis via the carbon cycle. It cannot be understated that plants have enriched human culture for their recreational, scientific, and spiritual uses.
Floral Focus Stacks explores the intricacies of flower structure and their pleasing aesthetic appeal. From asters and orchids to buttercups and violets, it is little wonder that we seek and surround ourselves with flowers for their beauty, symmetry, and symbolism.
Flowers were made to be seen not overlooked.
Henry David Thoreau, Journal, 15 June 1852