Flowers are one of the most visible faces of the plant kingdom for many, especially for garden enthusiasts. These parts of plants, so important for their reproduction and for nature in general, have innumerable sizes, shapes and smells.
If you want to learn more about the different kinds of flowers that exist, join us in this interesting article in which we talk about the different types of flowers , from their classification to aspects of the most resistant to cold and heat, which are small, large, fragrant, of a variety of colors, and so on.
Types of flowers – classification of plants
Before starting with the different types of flowers , it is necessary to go a step back, to one of the main classifications of plants : the one that divides them into angiosperms and gymnosperms.
Gymnosperm plants
Gymnosperm plants are those that are characterized, among other things, by not producing flowers throughout their life cycle. These are more primitive plants, which reproduce by spores or other methods. An example of this are ferns.
Angiosperm plants
Angiosperm plants, on the other hand, do produce flowers, and in fact have a huge variety in them, between 250,000 and 400,000 different flowers. In turn, angiosperms are divided into two other subgroups: monocots and dicots.
- Monocotyledonous plants are characterized by having a single cotyledon, which is the first leaf that is born when the seed germinates, before the first true leaves. In addition, in monocotyledonous plants, the leaves show veins that run along and in parallel, without all starting from a central vein. Similarly, its roots adopt a similar structure, developing into a huge number of individual fibers, which do not start from the same main root. Some examples of such flowers are orchids, tulips, lilies, and daffodils.
- Dicotyledonous plants , on the other hand, develop two cotyledons instead of one, as their name suggests. These plants show branching veins in their leaves, with a large central or main vein from which all the others start, covering the surface of the leaf. Something very similar happens with its roots, which also start from a main root and from which they can branch multiple times, thus covering large areas of land. Some dicotyledonous plants include roses, begonias, and daisies.
Likewise, it is possible to attend to the classification of the flowers between complete flowers , which are those that have the main elements of a flower and are hermaphrodites (like roses) and incomplete flowers , which are those that do not have all the basic elements one flower at a time, but they either have pistils or they have stamens, making them single-sex (like daisies and sunflowers).
More resistant flower types
Just as there are both large flowers and small flowers , and colorful flowers of all kinds, the capacities of their plants to adapt to different conditions they are also very different.
Some desert plants , such as cacti and succulents, have the ability to withstand extreme heat conditions and droughts that can last for years. They survive thanks to their ability to store water in their stems, leaves or roots, and some are true champions in this: there are cacti that can store up to 800 liters of water. These plants also often have thorns to prevent animals from feeding on them, and these specialized leaves are covered in a waxy coating that protects them against evaporation. They tend to be plants that only produce their flowers when the conditions are right, thus making sure not to waste their precious energies.
There are also seasonal flowers, which, given their great specialization in the medium from which they are original, can withstand very adverse conditions for other plants, such as strong winds or very high or very low temperatures, and even floods.
Known flower types – names of the most famous
Some of the names of flowering plants are very recognizable by almost anyone worldwide. Let’s see some of the best known and most representative flowers:
Roses
Roses are a whole genus of thorny bushes, widely known for the beauty of their flowers, with a very characteristic fragrance. Its flowers form buds of petals of various shades, although the most typical and classic roses are those of an intense red color. It is customary in many countries to give them as a symbol of romantic love, although depending on the type and color of the rose and the culture, they can have different meanings. Currently there are more than 30,000 varieties of rose, and new ones continue to appear each season, the result of hybridization.
Tulips
Tulips are also a whole genus of plants, in this case bulbous and perennial. There are about 150 species of tulips, as well as a huge number of hybrid cultivars. They are plants that rarely exceed 50 cm in height, with striking 6-petal flowers, very pretty and in a wide variety of colors, sizes and shapes. It is a very widespread plant thanks to its great success as an ornamental flower.
Sunflowers
The sunflower, or Helianthus annus , is one of the best-known flowering plants in the world. Its popularity is due, above all, to its ability to orient itself by following the movement of the sun in the sky, so that it always receives as much light as possible from it. The sunflower flower is not just one as it may seem, but it is made up of several small tuberous flowers. They are plants that grow at a dizzying speed, which can reach heights of up to 2 meters.
Other types of known flowers
- Orchid
- Daisy flower
- Lily
- Azalea
- Dahlia
- Hydrangea
- Yellow lily
- Hibiscus
- Bougainvillea
- Verbena
- Geranium
- Carnation
- Canna
- Daffodil
- Cherry Blossom
- Lotus flower
- Joy
- Petunia
- Lavender
- Chrysanthemum
- Jasmine
- Cyclamen
- Cactus flowers
