Flowers are the reproductive organs of angiosperm plants. They contain both male and female parts. Flowering plants are amazing because they were fairly late to appear in Earth's evolutionary history. The dinosaurs evolved before flowers did! Flowers co-evolved with insects.
In this assignment, I would like you to find some flower buds, particularly the buds of Magnolia Tree, the first flowering plant in evolutionary history to use an insect pollinator. Magnolia Stellata is one type of plant and Magnolia Grandiflora is another kind. There are Magnolias all over Vancouver.
Here is your scavenger hunt and it is a challenge! I want you to find a flower BEFORE it flowers! Take a look. You will find a LIVING FOSSIL called a Magnolia Stellata or a Magnolia Grandiflora. This beauty makes gigantic flowers on magnolia trees. You will need to find its bud and take a pic of frog on a bud and also the tree itself as well as where you found that tree. Upload these pics once on our Wednesday Flex channel and also hand it in as a TEAMS assignment! Remember to put your little frog on that bud!
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| Magnolia Grandiflora buds on a magnolia tree FYI this is a challenge because these trees are hard to recognize before they flower. But when they do flower, they look like this: |
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| Magnolia Grandiflora |
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| Magnoila stellata |
