Tuesday, February 1, 2011

20 Interesting Facts About Plants

A notch in a tree will remain the same distance from the ground as the tree grows.

* Banana oil is made from petroleum.

* 84% of a raw apple and 96% of a raw cucumber is water.

* The largest single flower is the Rafflesia or “corpse flower”. They are generally 3 feet in diameter with the record being 42 inches.

* Onions contain a mild antibiotic that fights infections, soothes burns, tames bee stings and relieves the itch of athletes foot.

* Quinine, one of the most important drugs known to man, is obtained from the dried bark of an evergreen tree native to South America.

* The rose family of plants, in addition to flowers, gives us apples, pears, plums, cherries, almonds, peaches and apricots.

* No species of wild plant produces a flower or blossom that is absolutely black, and so far, none has been developed artificially.

* Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.

* The bright orange color of carrots tell you they are an excellent source of Vitamin A which is important for good eyesight, especially at night. Vitamin A helps your body fight infection, and keeps your skin and hair healthy.

* A plant’s stem appears and grows upward shortly after the primary root appears. It continues to grow above ground level.

* Water and minerals flow upward through the roots into the stem of the plant and then into the leaves of the plant.

* Pistils have three parts – the stigma, the style, and the ovary.

* Petals are usually colorful, and they attract insects and birds that help with pollination.

* Fruit is really the part of a flower in which seeds grow. Cherries, apples, and even milkweed pods are fruit.

* Buds are small swellings on a plant from which a shoot, leaf, or flower usually develops.

* The primary root is the first thing to sprout from a seed, and it grows downward.

* A seed contains its own food supply, which helps the sprouting plant as it begins its new life.

* Roots are covered with root hairs that absorb water and minerals.

* Grapes and clematis have stems that climb with tendrils, which hold onto a surface, as the stems get longer.

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