Top 10 Facts About Flowers

Flowers

Flowers have long been used in much the same way as we use them today. The earliest evidence for this is in the country of Georgia around 8000 BC. In that locality, archaeologists have discovered what is thought to be the earliest known use of flowers. It seems that a funeral procession stopped at a cemetery and a flower was placed on the grave as a mark of respect for the deceased person and perhaps also as an offering to spirit beings thought to be present at funerals.

Many societies since that time have used flowers in their rituals or ceremonies, often at funerals, but also on other special occasions.

Flowers also have been used since very early times to make garlands or wreaths, often as part of a religious ceremony. This practice can be traced back to ancient India and the Roman Empire, both of which used flowers in ceremonies.

In China and Japan flowers have been used for centuries in bridal bouquets. Ancient Egyptian tombs have revealed flowers that were placed there as offerings to the dead. The custom persisted even after the spread of Christianity throughout Europe, since many churches were built on Pagan holy sites, such as Stonehenge in England.

In Christian countries, people usually bring flowers to a church service on special occasions such as Easter Sunday or Mother’s Day.

In recent years, the custom in many countries has evolved into giving flowers on Valentine’s Day, which is celebrated on February 14 each year. The custom seems to have begun in the late 1400’s in Paris. In those days, young men would give garlands or nosegays of flowers to their sweethearts and other young women during a festival dedicated to St. Valentine.

Flower the reproductive structure of a flowering plant

Flowering plants or angiosperms (flowering plants) have evolved to produce flowers as part of their sexual reproduction. The flowers usually develop from the flower buds of the plant and are fully capable of breeding true to form. Since they do not rely on wind or insects for pollination, their reproduction is usually sexual and involves fertilization by pollen. Flowering plants first appeared on Earth about 140 million years ago during the late Jurassic period. Most flowering plants evolved during the Cretaceous period, between 120 and 65 million years ago, but some later ones like magnolias have been traced back to the early Cenozoic Era, around 60 million years ago.

In the 16th century, tulip bulbs were more valuable than gold in Holland

In the 1600s, Holland had a famous tulip trade. Rare and beautiful tulips were much sought after at the time. Tulip bulbs were more valuable than gold.

One man bought 30 acres of land for one unique tulip bulb, five times the price of an ordinary farmhouse with land around it! In 1636, one single bulb was sold for 10 times what a skilled worker earned in a year! It is no wonder that people called this ‘tulip madness’!

There were three main reasons why the Dutch became so frenzied about tulips: rarity, variety and beauty. Rare tulips were highly sought after, and varieties were cultivated to produce new colours. The colors of the flowers also varied according to the soil in which they were grown, so each grower had his own special type of soil.

However, during 1636, prices began to spiral out of control. The sequence of events leading up to the crash is unclear but in early 1637, tulip prices began to fall. Panic selling began as everyone rushed to sell before prices dropped further.

Ancient Egyptians considered the lotus a sacred flower and used it in burial rituals

In Ancient Egypt, the Lotus was seen as the symbol of creation and rebirth because it blossoms from mud, yet remains beautiful. The Lotus was also believed to have the ability to purify water that had been contaminated by sewage or other filth. This may explain why this flower was used in burials as it would symbolize rebirth for the dead person.

It is still widely used in Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Asian languages.

In Hinduism, the lotus is the representation of original purity in creation. The plant grows in mud, yet blossoms clean and pure, untouched by evil and all forms of filth. It is also considered to be a symbol of wealth and prosperity.

In Buddhism, the lotus represents purity of mind and freedom from human desires. In Buddhism, a lotus blooming in muddy water represents how a person who has eliminated his evil thoughts from his mind can still attain enlightenment even when living in the world with its impurities.

The world’s oldest flower, Archaefructus Sinensis found in China

Scientists have discovered the world’s oldest flower in northwestern China. The fossilized flower is called Archaefructus Sinensis and has been determined to be 147 million years old. Based on the characteristics of its stems, leaves and petals, the flowers were found to be much like modern day magnolias. The discovery indicates that the ancestral species of plants that produced flowers first appeared at least ten million years earlier than previously thought and 10 million years earlier than flowering plants with advanced structures such as petals, sepals and stamens.

The lotus flower has been found by archaeologists scattered throughout ancient Egyptian tombs along with several other sacred objects representing life after death for those buried there.

Broccoli Is A Flower

Most people have no idea that broccoli and cauliflower are flowers. When you order broccoli in a restaurant, you probably expect to see a plant on the plate. But they are actually flowers, or miniature plants, or baby trees if you want to get technical about it. Broccoli and cauliflower are both very closely related to cabbage.

The Latin name for broccoli is Brassica Oleracea Italica Group, which is a whole lot of really complicated names for this particular flower. Broccoli (and cauliflower) evolved from wild cabbage, which grows wild in the Mediterranean area (especially Italy). The exact origin of broccoli and cauliflower seems to be lost to history through some kind of evolutionary lapse but I’m sure no one would notice or care if I made something up about it being discovered by Adam and Eve right around the time God said, “OK guys that’s enough fun. Give me that apple. Who are you anyway? You aren’t even supposed to be here” and kicked them out of the Garden of Eden. The point is that broccoli and cauliflower originally came from Italy. A lot of other people were eating the wild version (commonly known as cabbage) and enjoyed it but eventually they started cultivating it. (Evolution works like that you know, take something that works well in one area and try to improve on it.) They bred the wild cabbage until they had a plant that looked like a bush instead of a plant with leaves that grew downward to the ground. They had plants with smaller heads and smaller stems so they could be harvested more quickly.

But what does all this have to do with flowers? Well…a head of broccoli (or cauliflower) is actually a flower made up of tiny little flowers. If you break open a broccoli head you will see that it is basically a bunch of tiny yellow flowers in tight little bundles that have been fused together. In other words, the head itself has no leaves or stems. It is actually the flower petals themselves that form the tight structure we call “head”. Imagine if you will, if this were an actual flower instead of a miniature tree in your garden, how it would look when it’s fully grown and flowering. It’s kind of like what happens with trees when they start getting really tall…the top starts getting really wide while the bottom gets smaller and smaller until you can barely see them.

But the best thing about broccoli and cauliflower is that they taste good. If you have kids, you know what I’m talking about. Sometimes it’s just easier to give the kids a healthy dinner when it tastes good to them. Broccoli and cauliflower taste great with cheese (honestly, they’re my favorite) but my kids just don’t like cheese. The best time to eat them is when they are still very young and tender, which is why so many of us think of broccoli as a vegetable rather than a flower (I personally would eat baby trees all day long if I could get away with it).

Sunflower has a natural protection from radiation

As a result of the Chernobyl disaster on April 26, 1986, radioactive caesium-137 was deposited on farmland over an area of thousands of square kilometers in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. The whole country of Belarus was declared a contaminated zone and approximately 700 000 people were evacuated from their homes. At least 30% of the territory of Ukraine was similarly contaminated (e.g., the 23 districts around Chernobyl and nearby Pripyat), including Krasnohrad district with its capital, Slavutych city with 15 000 inhabitants.

Some plants, including the sunflower, seem to have a natural protection from the caesium-137. In July 2005 (12 years after the Chernobyl accident), some sunflowers were growing in a field that was contaminated with caesium-137. The whole heads were placed in baskets and brought to Slavutych city where they were put on display. At the same time, this discovery was made public by phone and media announcements.

Daffodils were used as currency in the Netherlands during World War II, due to food shortages and financial chaos

The daffodil is a wonderful flower and is often the first to bloom in spring. It has been used as a symbol of rebirth and renewal since ancient times. The Greeks believed it was the flower reincarnated from Narcissus’ tears. The Romans referred to it as ‘Narcissus’. They believed that seeing daffodils before one’s eyes meant you would go blind. The flower has many other names and meanings, but the most common ones are ‘Narcissus’ and ‘Jonquil’.

The daffodil usually blooms between March and May. It can grow to be about 6 or 7 inches tall. The flower can be yellow, orange, or white. It is part of the Amaryllidaceae family.

Daffodils were used as a method of trade during World War I in England. This was because many banknotes had to be printed in a rush following the war’s outbreak so that people could buy basic goods. People hoarded these notes because they feared they were more likely to lose their value than increase in value. This meant that there was a shortage of small change available. Many people refused to accept the paper banknotes and only accepted gold or silver coins as payment for goods. The government had to stop this by introducing new laws so that daffodils would be accepted as legal tender, i.e., a valid form of payment in the country. Once this was done, people could pay for goods and services with daffodils.

Some flowers are also Chocolately

Have you ever thought of brushing your teeth with flowers? Not just the herbal variety, but also dark, burning hot floral chocolate. Yes, there are quite a lot of flowers out there that smell like chocolate. It is surprising how many actually do this and how diverse they are. Some will not appeal to everyone’s taste buds, but most have a special flavor that can only be described as floral chocolate. Check out these flowers that are just like chocolate.

1) Chocolate Cosmos

Chocolate cosmos is a Mexican native plant whose name is self-explanatory. These flowers have a delicious scent that would make any chocolate lover happy. Furthermore, the flower has a beautiful appearance that makes it one of the most attractive plants out there with chocolate scents. Chocolate cosmos looks like small star clusters with a dark red center and different colored petals. Chocolate cosmos can be planted in pots or directly in the ground, but they do require direct sunlight and well-drained soil to survive.

2) Chocolate Pansy

The chocolate pansy is not to be confused with the viola tricolor, which also goes by the name chocolate pansy. This flowering perennial is native to South America, but it can thrive in many regions around the world. They are often planted as a border in flower gardens because they can grow up to 1 foot tall and have beautiful purple and red flowers that bloom all summer long. The most notable feature of the pansy flowers, however, is their scent, which is very much like Hershey’s chocolate bar.

3) Chocolate Geranium

The chocolate geranium has a sweet, rich scent that most people find to be irresistible. It is a perennial shrub that is native to Brazil. While it will thrive in any garden, the geranium will bloom best if they are planted in sunny areas. The chocolate-scented geranium blooms from spring until fall, producing thick clusters of flowers that come in shades of pink and red with yellow centers. These flowers can grow up to 2 feet tall, so make sure you give them enough room to spread out nicely.

Smallest known flower on Earth is Watermeal

Watermeal is an aquatic annual herb belonging to the Hydrocharitaceae family (and order Alismatales), and flowering plant genus Wolffia. It is the smallest flowering plant currently known in the world, with a maximum size of 0.22 mm (0.009 in). These plants can be found on every continent except for Antarctica, in both freshwater and acidic water. They are very small and float on top of the water surface, where they capture their nutrients from atmospheric precipitation. Its body is tiny and the seeds are extremely small, with the largest about 1 mm (0.039 in), hence why it is also called “Dewmaker.”

In a study by Malcolm Walter, a professor of plant science at James Cook University, he found that its minuscule genome (1C = 1.8 pg) is contained within its cell nucleus in a single chloroplast (chloroplast is where photosynthesis occurs). It has just under 10 Mbp of DNA and has 2,500 genes that code for proteins. The W. graminifolia genome also shows that it shares its genome with other flowering plants in the order Alismatales like Nymphoides and Cabomba.

Why Do Sunflowers Follow the Sun – The relationship between sun and Sunflowers

Sunflowers are plants that face the Sun as they move toward it during the course of a day. Like many plants, sunflowers can react to light. They are able to grow towards the Sun by altering their growing axis as it progresses across the sky. Sunflowers also demonstrate heliotropism, or directional growth, which is a plant’s tendency to change its growth in response to light stimuli.

Heliotropism most often occurs when a plant grows its leaves towards sunlight and away from shade during the day, but some plants can curve and change direction throughout their lives based on light cues. Sunflowers are also heliotropic.

The Sunflower’s flowers track the sun across the sky throughout the day. The roots of their young seedlings grow in the opposite direction of sunlight, in order to draw nutrients and water from deeper parts of the soil, where they will be most likely to find water. As sunflowers mature, they stop this action and their roots continue to grow closer to the surface of soil.

Sunflowers are not only able to change their orientation based on light stimuli; they also have a circadian rhythm that experiences dramatic changes when its temperature is raised.

Daisy has lots of medicinal properties, including antiviral and antioxidant effects

Daisies have been cultivated quite extensively as a means of producing antibiotics. This is because bacteria that normally live on daisies produce substances called “chrysoprases” – a kind of medicine used to treat infections. The chrysoprase antibiotic is effective against several types of virus and many kinds of bacteria, including staphylococcus and streptococcuss. Chrysoprase can also be used as an insecticide to kill ants, mosquitoes and other small insects. In addition to having antibiotic properties, daisies produce substances called acetone cyanohydrines which are used in the making of synthetic rubber. They also produce substances called “phytohemagglutinins” which are used to stimulate the immune systems of fish, chickens and other animals.

In terms of human health, daisies are well known for their anti-inflammatory properties. It is these anti-inflammatory properties that make daisies useful as a herb when treating arthritis and other inflammatory disorders. Daisy extracts may also be effective against fever blisters and may therefore be useful in the treatment of cold sores. In China, daisies are used as insect repellent and as a poultice for rheumatism.

Daisies are also used in treating sore, red eyes caused by exposure to too much sunlight. In addition to treating eye problems, daisies are also considered to be a good laxative and an effective treatment for stomach disorders.

As far as quelling emotions is concerned daisies have been found to have an anti-depressant effect. Herbalists recommend daisies be taken internally to treat anxiety and insomnia, as well as being used topically as a facial steamer. If daisies are dried they can be burnt and their ashes mixed with olive oil or almond oil where they will act as a natural insecticide.

Daisies have also been found to have an anti-carcinogenic effect, meaning they may help prevent the formation of cancerous cells. This is due, in part, to daisies producing a substance called “triterpenoid saponins.”

Most of the medicinal properties of daisies are due to the fact that they reproduce quickly and usually grow in areas where there is little competition for space and food. This allows them to be exposed to all sorts of bacteria which produce chemicals in their effort to survive – chemicals that are ultimately secreted by the plants into their tissues.