The Rose's Kiss: A Natural History of Flowers"An engaging botanical overview of flowers."-New York Times Book Review In The Rose's Kiss, Peter Bernhardt presents a fascinating and wide-ranging look at the natural history of flowers—how they look, what they do, and their often hidden interactions with the surrounding environment and other living organisms upon which they depend for their survival. You'll discover why flowers are so colorful, how they evolved, and how insects exploit them for their nectar. This is a book for all flower lovers, from naturalists and gardeners to poets and botanists. |
Contents
Beyond the Florists Shop | |
Brotherhoods and Sisters Rooms | 5 |
Limits to Perfection | 19 |
The Pig in the Pizza | 35 |
When to Bloom | 48 |
When to Die | 61 |
Of Pollen Perpetrators Politics and Piety | 73 |
Fruitful Unions | 89 |
The Faithful and Unfaithful Bee | 154 |
The Squawking Tree | 168 |
F Is for Fake and Flower | 181 |
Into Thin Air | 192 |
SelfMade Marriages and Virgin Births | 203 |
The First Flowers | 215 |
GLOSSARY OF FLOWER TERMS | 229 |
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY | 233 |
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Common terms and phrases
animals anther anther sac Australia bats bees beetles birds bisexual bloom blossoms body botanical botanists branches breeds bumblebee bushes butterflies carpels CHAPTER chromosomes color contain Cretaceous cross-pollination cues cycle dog rose drink eggs embryo evolution example female flowers female organs fertile flies floral flower buds flowering plants flowering stalk foraging forests fossil fruit garden genes grass grow gymnosperms hawkmoth honeybees hummingbirds insects inside Koonwarra leaves lilies linated lip petal live male and female male flowers moths mouthparts Myers natural nectar glands nectar guides offer orchids outer ovary ovules perfume petals pigments pollen grains pollen tube pollinia pores produce release resemble rewards scent scientists season seeds self-incompatibility self-pollination sepals sex organs shape species sperm sperm cell spring stamens stamens and carpels stem stigma sugar symmetry temperature tips tissue tongue trees tropical vines wasps wild wildflowers yellow