Tulip Frenzy: Netherlands’ Colorful Spring Spectacle Captured From Space
In the spring of 2024, the Netherlands showcased its beautiful flower fields through satellite images, as the peak of the blooming season brought vibrant colors…
Flowers News
Flowers are the reproductive structures of flowering plants, also known as angiosperms. They are designed to facilitate the transfer of pollen from the male structures to the female structures, either within the same flower or between flowers, which may occur via wind, water, or animal pollinators. Flowers can vary greatly in size, shape, color, and scent, features that often evolve to attract specific pollinators. The basic parts of a flower include the petals, which are usually colorful and attract pollinators; the stamens, which produce pollen; and the carpels, which contain the ovary with ovules that, once fertilized, develop into seeds. Flowers have not only ecological but also significant cultural and symbolic meanings, being used in ceremonies, decorations, and as symbols of love, mourning, or celebration across different cultures. In addition to their reproductive function, many flowers have culinary, medicinal, or horticultural uses, contributing to their widespread cultivation and appreciation.
Sunflower Secrets Unveiled: Multiple Origins of Flower Symmetry Discovered
The sunflower family tree revealed that flower symmetry evolved multiple times independently, a process called convergent evolution, among the members of this large plant family,…
Scientists Tap Into Flower “Superpower” for Groundbreaking New Drug Treatments
Scientists at the University of Bath have used nature as inspiration in developing a new tool that will help researchers develop new pharmaceutical treatments in…
“Nature’s True Survivors” – Flowering Plants Survived the Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs
New research explores how “flower power” persisted through the mass extinction event 66 million years ago to emerge as the dominant plant type. A recent…
The Orchid and the Fruit Fly – Scientists Discover Unique New Plant-Animal Relationship
For the first time, orchids that consume fungi have been observed offering their flowers to fungi-eating fruit flies in return for pollination services. This discovery…
New Study Challenges Popular 300-Year-Old Conjecture of Bilaterally Symmetrical Flowers
In the natural world, it’s not uncommon to see flowers from unrelated species exhibit similar physical characteristics. One such attribute is bilateral symmetry, a feature…
How Two “Touch-Me-Not Plants” Plants Fooled Scientists for Decades
Sometimes, scientists can be too ‘Impatiens‘ when naming species Nestled in the center of the world’s deepest valley are two plants that have confounded scientists…
33 Million Years Old: The Largest Flower Preserved in Amber
New images of the largest fossilized flower to be discovered in amber have recently been published in the journal Scientific Reports. The flower, measuring 28…
The Hidden Secrets of Flowers – Understanding Floral Evolution
A team of researchers has created 3D models in order to gain a better understanding of the evolution of flowers. A team of researchers from…
Scientists Reveal the Invisible Secret Behind Spectacular Blooms in the World’s Driest Desert
Diversity in flower color and patterning is even greater for pollinators. The Atacama desert, which stretches for nearly 1,600 kilometers along the western coast of…
Scientists Solve Century-Old Supergene Mystery
The Long and Short of a Supergene for Efficient Pollination Researchers have solved the century-old mystery of a supergene that causes efficient cross-pollination in flowers….
Scientists Solve the Mystery of Romanesco Cauliflower Formation
Where does the shape of the Romanesco cauliflower come from? The mystery of the formation of one of the most peculiar plant forms — the…
Mystery That Baffled Darwin Solved: Clever Strategy Some Flowers Use to Ensure Effective Pollination by Bees
Study of flowers with two types of anthers solves mystery that baffled Darwin. Some flowers use a clever strategy to ensure effective pollination by bees,…
Dutch Tulip Fields Come Into Bloom in Stunning Satellite Images
While the COVID-19 virus pandemic is forcing everybody to stay at home, we bring you these beautiful views from space of the Dutch tulip fields…
Floral Scents Have Provided Olfactory Excitement Since Mid-Cretaceous Period
The compounds behind the perfumes and colognes you enjoy have been eliciting olfactory excitement since dinosaurs walked the Earth amid the first appearance of flowering…
UW Study Reveals How Climate Change May Reshape Wildflower Communities
A new study from the University of Washington shows that with a changing climate, Mount Rainier floral communities could ‘reassemble’ with new species relationships and…
How Scent and Nectar Influence Pollinators and Herbivores
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology reveal how flowers use scent and nectar to manipulate pollinators and herbivores. Some pollinators not only…
Study Shows That Bees and Flowers Communicate Using Electrical Fields
Scientists from the University of Bristol have discovered that flowers use patterns of electrical signals in concert with the flower’s other attractive signals to enhance…