All flowering plants are comprised of the following four parts:

• roots (which the plant uses to collect water from the soil)
• stem (which the plant uses to reach sunlight)
• leaves (which the plant uses to produce energy in photosynthesis)
• flower (which the plant uses to reproduce).

The parts of the flower that can be seen growing above the ground are known as the plant's shoot. A flower that has not yet opened is called a bud.

Flowering plants are identified primarily by looking at the structure and color of their flowers. Other features, such as the length of the plant's stem or the number and structure of its leaves, can also be useful when identifying plants.