Flower Structure: A plant's flowers, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant they may be, are typically the key to its identity. Flowers, unlike leaves for example, are fairly uniform features. They usually remain the same regardless of changing light, water, or other environmental conditions. If a species has five-pet-aled flowers in one garden, it will have the same sort of five-petaled flower in another garden thosands of miles away. A bit of knowledge about flower structure, then, is crucial for identifying unknown plants.
It's also necessary if you plan on doing any plant breeding or seed saving. Petals are the showiest, most colorful parts of most flowers. Thecolor and markings on the petals attract
pollinating insects and birds. All the petals together make up the corolla. Sepals are the leaflike structures that enclose the flower before it open. Sepals may be separate ''leaves,''
or several lobes fused together. Usually they are green, but in some plants such as the dogwood, they almost resemble petals. Allthe sepals together make up the calyx.
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