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                                                Flowers are reproductive organs of most seed-bearing plants. Flowers carry out the multiple roles of 

                                      sexual reproduction, seed development, and fruit production. Many plants produce highly visible

                                      flowers that have a distinctive size, color, or fragrance. Almost everyone is familiar with beautiful

                                      flowers such as the blossoms of roses, orchids, and tulips. But many plants—including oaks,    

                                      beeches, maples, and grasses—have small, green or gray flowers that typically go unnoticed.

                                              Flowering plants are more widespread than any other group of plants. They bloom on every

                                       continent, from the bogs and marshes of the Arctic tundra to the barren soils of Antarctica. Deserts,

                                       grasslands, rainforests, and other biomes display distinctive flower species. Even streams, rivers,

                                       lakes, and swamps are home to many flowering plants.

                                                        Flowers play diverse roles in the lives of humans. Wildflowers of every hue brighten the

                                        landscape, and the attractive shapes and colors of cultivated flowers beautify homes, parks, and

                                        roadsides. The fleshy fruits that flowers produce, such as apples, grapes, strawberries, and

                                        oranges, are eaten worldwide, as are such hard-shelled fruits as pecans and other nuts. People even

                                        eat unopened flowers, such as those of broccoli and cauliflower, which are popular

                                                  vegetables. Natural dyes come from flowers, and fragrant flowers, such as jasmine and damask

                                        rose, are harvested for their oils and made into perfumes.