by Alex Dadio, Market Manager
an·gi·o·sperm
/ˈanjēəˌspərm/
nounBOTANY
plural noun: angiosperms
- a plant that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel. The angiosperms are a large group and include herbaceous plants, shrubs, grasses, and most trees.
Peppers are our featured crop this week and they are taking on a big responsibility. These popular culinary vegetables/ botanical fruits fall into the classification of Angiosperms, our featured word this week. This classification is the largest and most diverse group in the kingdom Plantae. Talk about pressure on peppers to represent!
Angiosperms makeup roughly 80% of the world’s population of living green plants. Angiosperms use seeds, flowers and fruit to reproduce. The seeds of angiosperms develop in the ovaries of the flowers and have a protective fruit. Angiosperms range from annual herbs to climbing vines to many shrubs and trees. The vast majority of plants that are consumed by humans are angiosperms.
Angiosperms are divided into two groups, monocots and dicots. Monocots have one cotyledon or seed leaf, while dicots have two. Cotyledons are the seed leaves that the new seedling uses for food. Monocots consist of plants such as grasses, corn and lilies, while dicots consist of plants such as sunflowers, roses and cacti. Monocots have their flower petals in threes, while dicots petals are found in groups of four and five. Most flowering plants are dicots.
Peppers, besides being a good representative of the Angiosperm classification, are a dicot, the record holder for the most Vitamin C of any produce and a great choice for stir fries, salads and to stuff with your favorite ingredients!
Find delicious, locally grown peppers at your local farmers market!
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