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Plants and People
Vegetables
Non-reproductive Parts
Monocot versus Dicot
When Mom Told You to Eat your
Vegetables….she lied!
These are NOT vegetables…
So…What is a Vegetable?
Generally speaking, a vegetable is any plant part NOT involved
in sexual reproduction. Usually a “vegetable” is a plant’s roots,
shoots, or stems….and will never be a fruit (contains seeds) or a
flower (contains a plant’s reproductive organs).
Roots, Shoots, Stems, and Leaves
Roots
carrots
parsnips
Carrots and parsnips are underground roots that become swollen
as they accumulate stored photosynthate, and are called tap roots.
Roots
sweet potato
The sweet potato is a swollen root, distinguished from the potato
by the lack of "eyes" or lateral buds.
Monocot versus Dicot - Roots
DICOT
MONCOT
Stems
onion
garlic
Onions and garlic are referred to as bulbs, modified stems in
which the primary storage tissue is expanded leaf bases
Stems
ginger
Ginger is a branched, underground compressed stem referred to
botanically as a rhizome.
Stems
potato
A potato is an unexpanded, underground stem that is called a
tuber. The dimples on the surface of the potato, the "eyes," are
actually lateral buds.
Stems
potato
A vertical, unexpanded, underground stem is called a corm. A
corm is solid inside (unlike a bulb) and doesn’t usually have
nodes all over like a tuber. There is often a papery covering
composed of leaf bases. Examples: water chestnut, taro.
Types of Leaves
Monocot versus Dicot - Leaves
MONCOT
DICOT
Leaves
When we eat lettuce, we eat the leaves. There is considerable
variation among the types of lettuce. Some types form a tight
head, while others are harvested as "leaf" types. Color varies from
green-yellow, to red to purplish.
Leaves
cabbage
The cabbage head is an unexpanded stem surrounded by
overlapping, fully expanded leaves. The leaves are usually
shredded or cut away from the stem, and the stem itself is rarely
eaten.
Leaves
celery
The edible portion of celery is the petiole, the small stalk
attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The whole, unexpanded
celery shoot may be eaten as well, called “hearts of celery”.
How to be Successful in this Lab…
• FACT: Lab practicals and quizzes will be based on your
ability to identify a given vegetable, fruit, flower, etc…so
learn them and be able to visually recognize them!
• Use the “prop” resources available to you during lab by
taking time to familiarize yourself with each specimen DO NOT divide and conquer!
• Bring your lab packet with you to each lab.
• Make flashcards and study/learn them by grouping them
and making multiple connections - place of origin, family,
part of the plant, etc.
Men of Science would do well to talk
plain English. The most abstruse
questions can very well be discussed in
our own tongue…
I make a particular appeal to the
botanists, who appear to delight in
troublesome words.
Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge
Prop Cards
You will “meet” a lot of plants this semester, presented as fresh or dry products or packaged props.
Each will come with a prop card carrying the information you need to know. Learn how to interpret
the material on each card.
Nomenclature
Related plants are grouped into a genus (plural, genera). The
genus name is capitalized and underlined or italicized. The
specific epithet is the second part of the name of a species. It
is underlined or italicized. Related genera are grouped into
families. The family name is always capitalized but its not
italicized.
Theobroma
V
genus name
cacao
V
specific epithet
in the Sterculiaceae
V
family