FLOWERING SEED PLANTS

"The flowering seed plants, or Angiosperms, are overwhelmingly the most successful plants at the present time. They were not identified for certain in the fossil record until the early Cretaceous, about 127 million years ago. They comprise approximately 240,000 very diverse species from trees well over 100 meters tall, with trunks nearly 20m in girth, to some floating duckweeds often scarcely 1 millimeter long. Some are vines, like the source of vanilla, others are parasitic, like the Rafflesia, the world's largest flower, and others such as the cactus behind me, are adapted for growth in extremely dry regions. The most distinctive characteristic of the Angiosperms is the flower, parts of which, after fertilization, develop into the seed-bearing fruit. Pollination of flowers and dispersal of fruits are largely responsible for the diversification of angiosperms."

KNOWN SPECIES Approximately 240,000

SIZE RANGE Less than 1 millimeter to over 100 meters tall

WHERE THEY LIVE On land, in fresh waters, and in oceans

ECOLOGICAL ROLES AND HUMAN USES At the base of the food chain Stabilize soils Store carbon Provide habitats for plants and D animals Used by humans as food; For timber, fuel, gums, resins, wax, oil, and fibers; As a source of perfumes, pesticides, and medicine

Sweetbay Magnolia

Malus sylvestris (crab apple)

Creeping Thistle

Bidens torta

Sun Flower