Flower, the part of an angiosperm (flowering plant) that contains the plant's reproductive organs. Flowers occur in many different shapes, sizes, and colors.
The cardinal flower is a tall plant with cardinal-red flowers.| Interesting facts about flowers | |||
| Yucca flowers of the American Southwest are pollinated by female yucca moths, which lay their eggs in the flowers' seed-producing organs. The eggs hatch into caterpillars, which feed on the seeds. | |||
| The night-blooming cereus is a climbing cactus with large, fragrant, white flowers that open only at night. The plant is grown in Hawaii, the West Indies, and other areas with a tropical climate. | |||
| The rafflesia is the world's largest flower. It measures up to 3 feet (91 centimeters) across. Rafflesias grow in Southeast Asia. They have no stems or leaves and are parasites on other plants. | |||
| Red-hot pokers have long, slender stems topped by spikes of small, brilliantly colored flowers. They belong to the lily family and may reach a height of 5 feet (1.5 meters). Red-hot pokers grow wild in Africa. | |||
| Stone plants of South Africa have leaves that look like the stones among which the plants grow. Each plant has two fleshy leaves. A white or yellow flower grows in a slit between the tops of the leaves. | |||
| The fly orchid of southern Ecuador has the shape and coloring of a female tachinid fly. This resemblance attracts male tachinid flies. The males pollinate fly orchids as they travel between blossoms. | |||
| Gloriosa lilies have long, graceful stamens (male reproductive parts) that grow out from the petals. The stems may measure up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall. The flowers grow in Asia and Africa. | |||
| Poinsettias have petallike leaves called bracts that surround the plants' tiny flowers. Most poinsettias have red bracts. The plants are native to Mexico and Central America. | |||
