Meghan Holmes is a writer and documentarian specializing in scientific topics such as the environment, invasive species, sustainability, and food issues. She holds a master's in Southern Studies from ...

See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Once upon a time on Earth, there was a first flower. Nature provides ...

Many flowers are indeed pentamerous — but across flowering plants as a whole, the petal number varies widely. Monocots often have flower parts in threes. Eudicots have four or five. Many species also ...