The parts of a flower
Biology · Key Stage 2 · The School
Why flowers look the way they do
A flower is not just pretty to look at. Every part has a job. The bright PETALS are there to be noticed. They attract insects, like bees, from far away. Without petals, many flowers would be much harder for insects to spot. Some petals even have lines that guide an insect straight to the middle.
The parts that make new seeds
Inside the petals sit the parts that matter most. The STAMEN makes pollen, a fine dust. The CARPEL holds the parts that can grow into seeds. These two parts, working together, are how a flower makes new plants. Without them, a flower could look beautiful and still make no seeds at all.
Sepals, and holding it all together
Before a flower opens, green SEPALS wrap around it like a case. They protect the delicate petals inside while the flower is still a bud. Once the flower opens, the sepals often fold back and stay at the base. On some flowers they are easy to miss, tucked right underneath.
Pick a simple flower, like a buttercup. Look at the green parts right at the back. Those are the sepals. They once protected the bud. Now look at the bright coloured parts. Those are the petals, there to attract insects. Look inside, right at the centre. The thin stalks with dust on top are the stamens. The thicker part in the very middle is the carpel. Four parts. Four different jobs. Together, they are what lets the plant make seeds. Try the same look on a daisy, and you will find the very same four parts again.