CHAPTER III 
FLOWERS 
General Characteristics and Structure of Flowers 
On account of their colors and odors, flowers very much excel 
other plant organs in attracting attention. Everybody is in- 
terested in flowers on account of their esthetic charm, if for no 
other reason. The attractive colors and pleasant odors common 
to flowers not only interest the scientist but also appeal to the 
esthetic sense of people in general. In fact many people would 
define the flower as the showy part of the plant. However 
showiness is not an essential feature, for there are many flowers 
which have no attractive colors or odors and yet they are just as 
genuine in function as are showy flowers. Most forest and shade 
trees, the Grasses, and many weeds do not have showy flowers. 
The flowers of such plants as the Oaks, Elms, Maples, and Pines 
lack showy parts and are so inconspicuous that most people have 
not noticed them, yet these flowers are just as genuine in function 
as those of a Lily or Rose. 
On account of their showiness and importance in reproduction, 
flowers were first to receive careful study; and in the early 
history of Botany, flowers were about the only plant structures 
that received much attention. At the present time there are 
some people who have the erroneous notion that the study of 
Botany and flowers are still almost identical despite the fact that 
the study of flowers is now of no more importance than many 
other phases of plant life, as is well shown by the large amount 
of space devoted by our present botanical texts to the study of 
roots, stems, leaves, and other phases of plants. 
In size, flowers may be almost microscopical as in some of the 
small floating water plants, such as the Duckweeds, or they may 
be of huge dimensions as some tropical flowers which are two or 
more feet across. Even in the ordinary greenhouse, some flowers 
are so small that they are not conspicuous except in large clusters, 
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