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Flowers

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Thousands and thousands of species of flowers grow in the Amazon. Some of them are the brilliant pink Wax Begonia, luxurious red and white Gloxinia-what a name! Also, the extravagant purple Clamshell Orchid. Yellow flowers such as the Amazonia Violet have ultra-violet markings on them that we humans cannot see; but bees can! This is a survival technique used by the plants but a survival fortunate for the bees who live off the plants pollen; the marks show where to get the pollen. Flowers are pollinated by bees and butterflies- that mostly pollinate yellow or blue - and also other small creatures that either pass through or eat from the plant.

Orchids

An extremely interesting plant in the rainforest is the Indian Pipe. It is more frequently called the "Ghost Flower," it gets its nickname from being a pale whitish color do to having no chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what gives a plant its color. The Indians use this plant for various reasons. They are for medicines, and food. Also, a few native tribes use the pollen from the Ghost Flower and mix it with other various plants, and potions to make powders for arrows and darts.

There is also a magnificent flower called the Cereus. The Cereus is a night-blooming cactus. It has amazing white flowers with a beautiful scent. These are used in various potpourris. Did you know that oils in the flower petals cause a flowers scent? Well, it is the truth!

Tropical flowers have four main parts. These include the petals, sepals, stamens, and pistils. The petals are generally brightly colored, but in the rare instances they may even be green. Both the sepals and the petals protect the flower, and attract insects and other animals, such as birds. In some seed plants, such as the Magnolias, and Camellias, the flowers are borne singly, but most have flowers arranged in clusters of varying structure called inflorescence.

Bird of Paradise

Flowers vary enormously in size from the almost microscopic, to the giants that can get a yard or more in diameter! The heaviest flower (Rafflesia) can weigh up to 15 pounds!

Each kind of flower produces characteristic pollen. The outer wall of pollen grains are quite smooth in some flowers, but in others the surfaces may be spiny or covered in ridges. Pollen may be globe-shaped, triangular, elliptical, or even cube-shaped. Pollen distributed by animals usually has rough, sticky surfaces, causing the grains to adhere in clusters to the pollinator.

Flowers are important because they may contain the cure for diseases, and they are used to decorate public and private buildings. We need these beauties. Let's not loose out.