1. plant morphology & diversity intro

Plant Morphology, anatomy & Diversity

Plant morphology represents a study of the

development, form, and structure of plants, and, by implication, an attempt to interpret these on the basis of similarity of plan and origin

Four areas of investigation

1. morphology is comparative, meaning that the morphologist examines structures in many different plants of the same or different species

. When structures in different species are believed to exist and develop as a result of common, inherited genetic pathways., those structures are termed homologous

morphology overlaps with the study of plant evolution and paleobotany.

2. plant morphology observes both the vegetative (somatic) structures of plants, as well as the reproductive structures. capsules.

The vegetative structures of vascular plants

the shoot system, composed of stems and leaves,

root system.

Reproductive structuresare usually specific to a particular group

of plants, flowers and seeds, fern sori, moss capsule

The detailed study of reproductive structures in plants led to the discovery of the alternation of generations found in all plants and most algae.

3. plant morphology studies plant structure at a range of scales

At the smallest scales are ultrastructure, the general structural features of cells

At the largest scale is the study of plant growth habit, the overall architecture of a plant.

4. plant morphology examines the pattern of development, the process by which structures originate and mature as a plant grows.