Nyctaginaceae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nyctaginaceae |
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| Mirabilis jalapa, the four o'clock. | |
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Nyctaginaceae
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The Nyctaginaceae family is also known as the four o'clock family. It includes about 33 different groups of plants, called genera, and around 290 different species of flowering plants. These plants mostly grow in warm, wet areas near the Equator, known as tropical and subtropical regions. However, you can find a few types in cooler, temperate places too.
Some well-known plants in this family are the beautiful Bougainvillea and the Mirabilis jalapa, which is often called the four o'clock flower. Many plants in the Nyctaginaceae family are vines, meaning they climb or trail along the ground.
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What Makes These Plants Special?
Unique Fruit and Pollen
Plants in the four o'clock family have a very special type of fruit called an "anthocarp". This fruit is unusual because it is partly covered by a special part of the flower that grows around it.
Another interesting fact is that many plants in this family have very large pollen grains. These tiny grains, which help plants reproduce, can be bigger than 100 micrometers. That's super tiny, but very large for pollen!
The Amazing Four O'Clock Flower
The Mirabilis jalapa, or four o'clock flower, has a really cool trick. On the same plant, you can sometimes see flowers of different colours growing at the same time! Imagine a plant with red, yellow, and pink flowers all blooming together. It's quite a sight!
Images for kids
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Bougainvillea glabra
