Download Plants - Faculty

Plants
Morphology and classification
Plant taxonomy
• Oldest science
• Knowledge of local plants – flora is
essential
• “Primitive” humans have more knowledge
• Leave for our future generation an
undiminished biota
Plant taxonomy
• Production of an inventory of the world's flora
• Production of a classification system that includes all
plants, this provides a systematic organization of the
diversity found in plants;
• An understanding of relationships of plants that can be
incorporated into classification systems, if we have a
plant that has a useful characteristic, a classification
system can provide information that may lead to the
discovery of related plants with similar characteristics;
and
• Provide universal rules and regulations regarding the
naming of plants, which is critical to identification and
communication.
Vegetative Morphology
Duration
• Annuals and biennials
• Perennials
– Herbaceous – underground stems
– Woody – trees and shrubs
• Trees – more than 5meters with usually one trunk
• Shrubs – less than 5 meters with many trunks
Vegetative Morphology
Plant habit
Vegetative Morphology
Root System
Vegetative Morphology
Modified Structures
• Tendril - coiled clawed structure that enables
plants to attach to objects. Tendrils are modified
leaves and stems.
• Thorn - Woody, sharp-pointed stem. These can
be terminal or in the axil of leaves. They are
sometimes branched.
• Spine - Modified leaf or leaf-parts. Cacti spines
are modified leaves.
• Prickle - Sharp structure that is an outgrowth of
the bark or epidermis.
Vegetative Morphology
Leaf Arrangement
Vegetative Structures
Leaf Types
Flower Structure
Flower and the plant
• Ovary → fruit (+ some other structures)
• Ovules → seed
• COMPLETE FLOWER - A flower having all four
whorls
• PERFECT FLOWER - A flower having both sexes
• UNISEXUAL FLOWER - A flower having one sex
– MONOECIOUS PLANTS - A plant with unisexual flowers with
both sexes on the same plant
– DIOECIOUS PLANTS - A plant with unisexual flowers with
one sex on each plant, in effect, male and female plants
Learn
• Table 1.3 Common Latin names Used for
Species and Their English Meaning
• Table 1.5 the suffix for each hierarchical
level of classification
• Table 1.6 – monocot /dicot characteristics
• Vegetative (asexual) and sexual
reproduction.
– How do we exploit each type.