A flower is a very common thing that you will get to find no matter where you go or whosoever house you visit. No matter you belong to a different country,caste,culture or creed, flowers are an integral part of everybody's life. But these beautiful flowers have altogether a very different story to narrate. Although flowers look very simple and normal but its when we peep in properly that we realize its complicated structures.



The complicated flower

Let us a look at the the components of a flower to understand it better.

Calyx : This forms the outer part of a flower and is green in color. In some of the flowers these calyx look like the petals which often confuses everyone.

Corolla : This is the thin, soft petal of the flower which attracts the insects and is used in the process of pollination.

Androcium : These are a couple of stamens,each of which is a filament with the anther on top where the pollen is produced. This pollen contains the male gamets of a flower.

Gynoecium : This is the female organ of a flower which has one or more carpel.

These are some of the very important parts of a flower with many other small parts like the bract, sepal, stigma, style, anther, filament etc.

Flowers are said to have evolved 130 million years ago although there are no fossil evidences available in this regard. But how does it really matter to the avid flower lovers who cannot do without the fresh ones in their sitting rooms ever day. Some even go upto the extend of decorating each and every corner of their house with this beautiful species. Not all flowers form a part of our diet but there are a few that can be included in our list of food items. Cauliflower is one of the major vegetable flowers which is high on the list of eatables and it also tags along others like broccoli and artichoke. Cloves are yet another species which is mainly used as a spice in our food. Mention may also be made of the Hop flowers which is used as a flavoring for beer. So I am sure that this is one very favorite flower of the beer lovers. So if beer is there, then why leave out vine? Dandelion flowers are there to be made into vine. People feed the chickens with marigold flowers, for them to have a shining golden color skin, as this is what the customers prefer when they come to buy them. Many of the edible flowers are also used to flavor the salads. Well these are some of the uses of flowers in our food but more than this flowers have an increasing appeal as they make for excellent decorative. There is no occasion that does not start without flowers. Be it a wedding,christening or a simple kitty party at home, flowers are a must. Roses, orchids,the white lilies, poppies and many more such beautiful ones are the show stealers.

In some countries like India and Srilanka, the importance and use of flowers is so very much that they are use by the women when they go to the temples, in fact as per the Hindu custom, a marriage is never complete unless the bride does not wear a bunch of scented flower in the bun of her hair. Garlands also form an integral part of the wedding.

As far as occasion go, there is not a single one that starts without the presence of flowers and their fragrance around. Be it Christmas, New Year or Easter, the churches are well adorned with flowers in various colors and scents. Flowers also show their importance at the time of some body's death. These are kept as a symbol of grieving.

But the most awaited day, when nothing other than flowers can be seen in almost every nook and corner of the street is Valentines Day. We get to see a variety of rose flowers but its the red roses that is the main attraction of this day.

Man's association with flowers is from the time from when he is born and he is also bid adieu to the next world with flowers all around. But do these flowers get their due respect is an unshared question. If at all the answer is no, then there could be no other creature as selfish as man.