Flowers and flowering
plants form an exceedingly important part of nature. They also
provide color to the surroundings – not only the flowers
themselves but also the brilliant colored leaves that cover
the hillsides during the autumn in temperate regions. Gymnosperms,
which were predominant until the angiosperms appeared 140 million
years ago, have no colorful flowers; a few exhibit autumn colors.
Flowers
are used in plantings and in many ceremonies; their seeds,
fruits, roots, stems, and leaves also provide food, as has
been
noted in several examples. In turn, most of the animals that
humans eat depend upon flowering plants for their food supply.
