I
Reproductive portion of any flowering plant (angiosperm).
Popularly, the term applies especially when part or all of the reproductive structure is distinctive in colour and form. Flowers present a multitude of combinations of colour, size, form, and anatomical arrangement. In some plants, individual flowers are very small and are borne in a distinctive cluster ( inflorescence ). Each flower consists of a floral axis that bears the essential organs of reproduction ( stamen s and pistil s) and usually accessory organs (sepals and petals); the latter may serve both to attract pollinating insects (see pollination ) and to protect the essential organs. Flower parts are arrayed usually in whorls, but sometimes spirally. Four distinct whorls are common: the outer calyx (sepals), the corolla (petals), the androecium (stamens), and, in the centre, the gynoecium (pistils). The sepals are usually greenish and often resemble reduced leaves; the petals are usually colourful and showy. carpel s, encloses an ovary that contains the ovules, or potential seed s. After fertilization, the ovary enlarges to form the fruit . Flowers have been symbols of beauty in most civilizations of the world, and flower giving is still among the most popular of social amenities.
II
[c mediumvioletred] (as used in expressions)
crane flower
cardinal flower
thousand flowers
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