Flower

The overwhelming majority of land plants reproduce by means of flowers. Flowers produce fruit; pulpy cases for seeds, which contain all the genetic information required to create a new plant. Seeds are formed when pollen is transferred from one flower to another, this can be spread by the wind, or by animals.

Many animals, including birds, bats, humans and insects, find flowers attractive. There is a good reason for this: plants have evolved showy flowers that attract animals so that when the animal comes to the flower, pollen attaches to them, and is spread when they visit another flower. Things that attract animals to plants include colour, scent, nectar, pollen, pattern and shape. Plants that do not rely on animals for pollination, such as grasses, typically have small, seemingly insignificant flowers.

Birds and bees are of particular importance to plant reproduction as they flit from flower to flower gathering nectar and pollen. Birds also eat fruit, which contains seeds, and the seeds are later passed through the bird's digestive system and eventually land on the ground, sometimes many miles away. A percentage of these grow into new plants. Because of the role birds and bees play in plant reproduction, to tell children about "the birds and the bees" has become a euphemism for sex education in the English language.

People generally like the fragrance and form of flowers, and cultivate them in gardens. Several industries and hobbies have grown around the selective breeding, growing and arranging of flowers.

Bibliography

• Macoboy, Stirling. What Flower is That? Sydney, NSW, Australia: Lansdowne Press, 1981.