Curious About Flowers

PODCAST 219: CURIOUS ABOUT FLOWERS

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11TH, 2022

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  WE GOT CURIOUS ABOUT PLANTS JUST OVER A YEAR AGO IN EPISODE 157.  TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT A PART OF MANY, BUT NOT ALL, PLANTS.  MANY PLANTS NEED THESE IMPORTANT PARTS TO HELP THEM MAKE SEEDS AND REPRODUCE.  THEY ARE OFTEN VERY BEAUTIFUL AND SOME OF THEM EVEN SYMBOLIZE JOY AND LOVE.  LET’S LEARN MORE.

O:  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

D:  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

“HELLO OLIVIA AND JACOB, MY KIDS CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR PODCAST.  WE’VE LISTENED TO SOME EPISODES SO MANY TIMES THAT THEY HAVE MEMORIZED AND TALK ALONG WITH THEM.  FOR FUTURE EPISODE IDEAS, TILLY (AGE 6) WOULD LIKE TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT FAIRIES OR FLOWERS.  CHARLIE (AGE 4) WOULD LIKE TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT WAVES OR ICE.  KEEP UP THE GOOD AND CURIOUS WORK.

TILLY AND CHARLIE OF LAKEWOOD, COLORADO.”

*** VM FROM CHARLIE OF TAMPA, FLORIDA***

“HI, MY NAME IS CHARLIE.  I AM 6 YEARS OLD.  I LIVE IN TAMPA, FLORIDA.  I LOVE YOUR PODCAST.  CAN YOU PLEASE GET CURIOUS ABOUT FLOWERS, BRACELETS, AND PODCASTS.  THANK YOU.”

O:  THOSE WERE AMAZING MESSAGES FROM A COUPLE OF OUR MOST LOYAL FANS.  WE CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FLOWERS FOR TILLY, CHARLIE, AND CHARLIE.  WHAT IS IT WITH CHARLIES WANTING TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT FLOWERS, AM I RIGHT?  ANYWAY, FLOWERS ARE SO BEAUTIFUL AND SMELL SO NICE.  LET’S START LEARNING. 

D:  WE ARE GOING TO LEARN SO MUCH, AND WE MAY EVEN FIND OUT THAT NOT ALL FLOWERS LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL OR SMELL SO NICE, SO STAY TUNED.  WHAT’S THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK?

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHAT IS THE RAREST COLOR FOR FLOWERS ON EARTH?

D:  OF THE 369,000 FLOWERING PLANTS ON EARTH, ONLY ABOUT 10% OF THEM ARE THIS COLOR, AND IT’S A VERY COMMON COLOR, SO NO NEED TO THINK OF OBSCURE COLORS… THE COLOR JUST ISN’T COMMON IN FLOWERS.  CAN YOU GUESS WHAT COLOR WE’RE TALKING ABOUT?

O:  WHILE YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT THE ANSWER, LET’S START LEARNING.  IT’S EASY TO THINK OF FLOWERS AS BEING DECORATIVE.  THEY ARE USED TO DECORATE GARDENS, HOMES, AND SO MUCH MORE.  FLOWERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR MORE THAN JUST DECORATING.    

D:  FLOWERS ARE A PART OF PLANTS, AND THEY ARE THE PART THAT MAKES SEEDS THAT ARE THEN NEEDED TO CREATE NEW PLANTS.

O:  IN OTHER WORDS, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT FLOWERS DO IS REPRODUCE, OR MAKE NEW PLANTS.  

D:  FLOWERS HAVE A LIFE CYCLE, JUST LIKE OTHER LIVING THINGS.  TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LIFE CYCLE OF FLOWERING PLANTS, CHECK OUT THE EPISODE CURIOUS ABOUT PLANTS.  WE DISCUSS THE LIFE CYCLE IN LOTS OF DETAIL IN THAT EPISODE.  

O:  BASICALLY, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT, IN ORDER TO MAKE A SEED, POLLEN HAS TO MOVE FROM ONE FLOWER TO ANOTHER AND COMBINE WITH THE EGGS OF THE OTHER FLOWER.  AND THAT HAPPENS THANKS TO POLLINATORS, WHICH ARE ANIMALS LIKE BEES, FLIES, AND HUMMINGBIRDS THAT PHYSICALLY MOVE POLLEN FROM ONE FLOWER TO ANOTHER.  

D:  HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY FLOWERS ARE BEAUTIFUL AND SMELL NICE?  THEY ARE DESIGNED THIS WAY TO ATTRACT POLLINATORS, AND THOSE POLLINATORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING FLOWERS REPRODUCE.  

O:  THE WHOLE PROCESS IS SUPER IMPORTANT.  WITHOUT FLOWERS, WE WOULDN’T HAVE MANY OF THE FOODS, MEDICINES, AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN OUR DAY TO DAY LIVES.    

D:  UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE FLOWER CAN HELP US VISUALIZE HOW THE WHOLE PROCESS WORKS.

O:  THE COLORFUL PARTS OF THE FLOWER THAT WE USUALLY THINK OF WHEN WE THINK OF FLOWERS ARE CALLED THE PETALS.  THERE ARE ALSO SEPALS BELOW THE PETALS THAT ARE USUALLY GREEN, AND THEY HELP SUPPORT THE PETALS.    

D:  THE FEMALE PARTS OF THE FLOWER ARE CALLED THE PISTIL, WHICH LOOKS LIKE A VASE WITH A LOG NECK.  THE MALE PARTS ARE CALLED THE STAMEN, WHICH CONSISTS OF THE FILAMENT, WHICH LOOKS LIKE A PIECE OF STRING, AND THE ANTHER, WHICH IS A BALL OF POLLEN THAT CAN BE FOUND ON TOP OF THE FILAMENT.  

O:  THE FOUR MAIN PARTS OF A FLOWER ARE THE PETALS, SEPALS, STAMEN, AND PISTIL.  IF A FLOWER HAS ALL FOUR PARTS, IT IS CONSIDERED TO BE A COMPLETE FLOWER.  EXAMPLES INCLUDE ROSES AND TULIPS.

D:  ANY FLOWER WITH LESS THAN ALL FOUR MAIN PARTS IS CONSIDERED AN INCOMPLETE FLOWER.  EXAMPLES INCLUDE GRASSES AND HOLLY.  

O:  ABOUT 90% OF FLOWERS HAVE BOTH THE MALE AND FEMALE PARTS NEEDED FOR REPRODUCTION.  THE FLOWERS THAT HAVE BOTH MALE AND FEMALE PARTS ARE CALLED PERFECT.  THEY INCLUDE LILLIES AND ORCHIDS.  EXAMPLES OF IMPERFECT FLOWERS THAT DON’T HAVE BOTH INCLUDE BEGONIA AND CORN.  

D:  WHEN POLLINATORS LAND ON A FLOWER, SOME OF THE POLLEN STICKS TO THEIR BODIES.  THEY THEN FLY TO ANOTHER FLOWER TO DROP SOME OF THE POLLEN INSIDE, BEGINNING THE LIFE CYCLE.  

O:  THE POLLINATOR DROPS THE POLLEN INTO THE PISTIL OF THE NEW FLOWER, WHICH FERTILIZES THE EGGS INSIDE THE OVARY OF THE FLOWER, CREATING SEEDS.  

D:  IT’S REALLY AMAZING HOW NATURE WORKS, ISN’T IT?  WE WOULDN’T HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND ALL OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH THEM WITHOUT POLLINATORS THAT HELP SPREAD POLLEN FROM FLOWER TO FLOWER.  LIKE I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EPISODE, NOT ALL FLOWERS ARE BEAUTIFUL AND SMELL GOOD.  LET’S LEARN ABOUT ONE VERY STRANGE EXAMPLE.

O:  THE LARGEST FLOWER IN THE WORLD IS CALLED TITAN ARUM.  IT CAN GROW UP TO TEN FEET TALL AND THREE FEET WIDE AND WEIGH AS MUCH AS 24 POUNDS.  THAT’S ONE HUMUNGOUS FLOWER.

D:  BUT, GUESS WHAT?  THAT’S HARDLY THE STRANGEST THING ABOUT THE MASSIVE FLOWER.  IT ALSO SMELLS TERRIBLE.  IT ACTUALLY HAS THE SMELL OF ROTTING FLESH.  THE SMELL IS SO DISTURBING THAT THE FLOWER IS OFTEN CALLED THE CORPSE FLOWER.  GROSS!  LET’S QUICKLY FORGET ABOUT THAT FLOWER BY LEARNING ABOUT THE SMALLEST FLOWER IN THE WORLD, WHICH IS THE WOLFFIA GLOBOSA, ALSO SOMETIMES CALLED WATERMEAL.  THE WHOLE PLANT IS THE SIZE OF A GRAIN OF RICE, AND THE FLOWER OF THE PLANT CAN BE FOUND IN A TINY HOLE IN THE SURFACE OF THE PLANT.  THAT IS RIDICULOUSLY SMALL.  

O:  THERE IS A FLOWER OUT THERE THAT SMELLS LIKE ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IN THE WORLD, CHOCOLATE.  IT’S CALLED THE CHOCOLATE COSMOS.  

D:  ONE OF MY FAVORITE FLOWERS IS THE SUNFLOWER.  I THINK THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL.  HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY THEY ARE CALLED SUNFLOWERS?  WELL, IT’S BECAUSE THE HEADS OF THE SUNFLOWER MOVE DURING THE DAY, FOLLOWING THE SUN FROM EAST TO WEST.  THAT’S INCREDIBLE!  SUNFLOWER SEEDS ALSO HAVE A SPECIAL CHEMICAL THAT PREVENTS OTHER PLANTS FROM GROWING NEAR THEM.  I GUESS THEY MUST LIKE THEIR SPACE.  

O:  THERE ARE ALSO FLOWERS CALLED MOON FLOWERS.  IF YOU THINK THEY FOLLOW THE MOON THE SAME WAY THAT SUNFLOWERS FOLLOW THE SUN, THAT’S NOT QUITE RIGHT.  THEY ARE CALLED MOON FLOWERS BECAUSE THEY BLOOM AT NIGHT AND CLOSE DURING THE DAY.  

D:  ALSO, THERE ARE OTHER FLOWERS THAT CLOSE AT NIGHT, LIKE POPPIES AND TULIPS.

O:  SCIENTISTS THINK THAT THEY CLOSE AT NIGHT TO PROTECT THE POLLEN INSIDE FROM GETTING WET.  IT’S HARDER FOR INSECTS TO CARRY WET POLLEN THAN DRY POLLEN, SO KEEPING THE POLLEN DRY MAKES IT MORE LIKELY THAT THE FLOWER WILL REPRODUCE.  THAT’S SO FASCINATING!

D:  IT SURE IS.  FLOWERS CAN ALSO BE POISONOUS.  THE MOST POISONOUS FLOWER IN THE WORLD IS THE COMMON OLEANDER, WHICH COMES IN THREE COLORS… WHITE, CRIMSON, AND MAGENTA.  THE ENTIRE PLANT IS TOXIC.  COMMON OLEANDER IS SO TOXIC THAT THERE ARE REPORTS OF PEOPLE GETTING SICK FROM EATING THE HONEY MADE BY BEES THAT HAVE VISITED COMMON OLEANDER FLOWERS.  

O:  THERE IS A FLOWER CALLED THE GHOST FLOWER.  IT HAS THAT NAME BECAUSE IT IS WHITE LIKE A GHOST.  THE REASON IT’S WHITE IS BECAUSE IT DOESN’T HAVE ANY OF THE CHLOROPHYLL OR OTHER PIGMENTS YOU WOULD FIND IN MOST OTHER PLANTS.  IT TURNS OUT THAT WHITE FLOWERS USUALLY HAVE STRONGER SCENTS THAN COLORFUL FLOWERS.  

D:  THERE ARE OTHER UNIQUE FLOWERS LIKE THE BIRD OF PARADISE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY SHAPED LIKE A COLORFUL TROPICAL BIRD.  

O:  THERE IS AN INTERESTING FLOWER THAT IS CALLED THE MONKEY FACE ORCHID.  IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A MONKEY’S FACE ON THE FLOWER.  IT’S A RARE FLOWER THAT CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN PARTS OF PERU AND ECUADOR.  

D:  THERE ARE OTHER FLOWERS THAT RESEMBLE DANCING GIRLS IN DRESSES, AND THEY ARE CALLED, WHAT ELSE?… DANCING GIRLS.  THEY ARE NATIVE TO EAST AFRICA AND CAN BE FOUND IN WHITE AND LIGHT PINK.  

O:  THERE IS A SPOOKY LOOKING PLANT THAT IS CALLED THE SUBTERRANEAN PLANT.  IT LOOKS A BIT LIKE A MONSTER AND IT IS COMMONLY FOUND IN PARTS OF SOUTH AFRICA.  EVEN THOUGH THEY LOOK KIND OF SCARY, SUBTERRANEAN PLANTS MAKE YUMMY BERRIES.  

D:  THERE IS EVEN A TULIP ORCHID THAT HAS THE NICKNAME SWADDLED BABIES.  AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE.  

O:  THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLOWERS OUT THERE, AND THEY ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE IN THEIR OWN WAY.

D:  THAT’S RIGHT, AND NOT ONLY DO FLOWERS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR LIVES BEYOND JUST BEING BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT AND PLEASANT TO SMELL, BUT THEY ARE ALSO THE INSPIRATION FOR MANY OF OUR NAMES.

O:  LILY IS A SUPER POPULAR NAME.  I EVEN HAVE A BABY COUSIN, LILLIANA, AND SOMETIMES SHE IS CALLED LILY FOR SHORT.

D:  ROSE IS ANOTHER COMMON NAME.  ROSE CAN ALSO BE A NICKNAME FOR OTHER NAMES LIKE ROSEANNE OR ROSEMARY.

O:  JASMINE IS ANOTHER POPULAR NAME THAT COMES FROM A FLOWER.  A JASMINE IS A SMALL WHITE FLOWER THAT SMELLS NICE AND IS DELICATE.  

D:  THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER FLOWER NAMES THAT ARE POPULAR NAMES FOR HUMANS AS WELL, LIKE VIOLET, IRIS, POPPY, DAISY, DAHLIA, HOLLY, IVY, AMBER, AND EVEN YOUR MOTHER’S NAME TOO.

O:  THAT’S RIGHT.  MY MOMMY’S NAME IS HEATHER, WHICH IS ALSO A PURPLE PLANT.  NO WONDER WHY HER FAVORITE COLOR IS PURPLE.

D:  SPEAKING OF FLOWER COLORS, LET’S ANSWER OUR QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  WHICH COLOR IS THE ONE THAT’S THE LEAST COMMON IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FLOWERING PLANTS WORLDWIDE?

O:  THE RAREST FLOWER COLOR IS BLUE.  ONLY ABOUT 10% OF FLOWERS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE BLUE.  THAT’S BECAUSE THERE IS NO BLUE PIGMENT IN THE PLANT KINGDOM.  FLOWERS THAT LOOK BLUE ARE ACTUALLY VARIATIONS OF VIOLET AND PURPLE.  

D:  AND, IF YOU WANT TO GET SUPER TECHNICAL, THERE IS ACTUALLY NO SUCH THING AS A WHITE FLOWER.  WHITE FLOWERS ARE TRULY COLORLESS, AND NOT WHITE.  THAT’S BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE ANY OF THE COLOR PIGMENTS THAT GIVE OTHER FLOWERS THEIR BEAUTIFUL COLORS.  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  219 - FLOWERS.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB TILLY, CHARLIE, AND CHARLIE FOR GIVING US AN EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION THAT IS ALWAYS IN BLOOM.  BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE, WE HAVE SOME AMAZING PEOPLE TO THANK.

O:  THANK YOU TO OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTER, BRIAN K.

D:  A BIG THANKS TO BRIAN FOR HELPING TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST.  

O:  WE ALSO WANT TO THANK USERNAME PATYLUZ FOR THE 5 STAR REVIEW, ALL THE WAY FROM THE UK.

D:  IT SAYS “BEST KIDS PODCAST.  WOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH.  THIS PODCAST HAS BEEN A BLESSING TO OUR FAMILY.  HELLO FROM OXFORD, UK.  WE LOVE YOUR PODCAST!”

O:  THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS.  WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE LISTENERS LIKE YOU THAT TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO LEAVE US A REVIEW.

D:  JOIN US NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE WILL GET CURIOUS ABOUT CANCER FOR LISTENERS IN MONTANA, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND COLUMBIA.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.