Plant Anatomy

Presented by Brennan Hyden

Parts of plantsRootsStemsLeaves FlowersFruit

Root functions

• To absorb water and nutrients• To anchor the plant in the ground or onto a

tree or rock• In some cases to store water and nutrients• In some cases to perform photosynthesis

Root Growth RegionsRoot cap protects root as it is going down through the soilArea of cell division contains the meristem which is responsible for manufacturing new cellsArea of cell elongation is where new cells stretch and push the root downArea of cell differentiation is where cells differentiate into there separate functions

Root InteriorRoot hairs absorb water into rootWater and nutrients then pass through the epidermis, outer cortex, endodermis, and inner cortexWater finally enters the xylem where it is carried up to the upper part of the plantThe phloem is located in bundles outside the xylem where it carries sugars and nutrients down to the root cellsIn between the xylem and the phloem is the cambium which contains undifferentiated tissue and creates new xylem and phloem

Dicotyledon root

Monocotyledon Root

Elements needed by plants

• Oxygen• Hydrogen• Carbon• Nitrogen• Phosphorus• Potassium• Magnesium• Calcium• Sulfur

• Chlorine• Iron• Maganese• Colbalt• Copper• Zinc• Molybdenum

Stem functions

• To transport nutrients to and from the roots, leaves, flowers, fruit, and other stems

• In some cases to store water and nutrients• In some cases to perform photosynthesis

Types of stems

• Vertical stems• Bulbs such as onions, garlic, tulips, and lilies• Tubers such as potatos• Rhizomes such as grasses, iris, and orchids• Corms such as crocus• stolons such as in strawberries

Stem Interior

• Stems have very similar anatomy to roots except that they do not have an endodermis and all of their vascular tissue is arranged in bundles

Woody Stems

• In dicotyledons and gymnosperms that form woody stems, the cambium will connect to form a ring. This cambium then makes more vascular tissue forming a tree’s first ring

• The next year the cambium will create another layer of xylem and phloem, the xylem will form the second ring and the phloem will be pushed out and as a result not form a ring

Leaf functions

• To perform photosynthesis• In some cases to store water and nutrients

Leaf Interior

Specialized leaves

• Bracts• Stipules• Spines• Tendrils

Flowers

Fruits

• Fruits usually form after a flower is successfully pollinated. Fruits are responsible for carrying the seeds and protecting them until they are mature, they usually take several months to mature

Types of Fruit• Drupes• Pomes• Berrys• Aggretate fruits• Compound fruits• Achenes• Nuts• Capsules• Pods• Caryopsis

Ways of propagating plants• Seeds• Division of rhizomes• Seperating or slicing corms and bulbs• Dividing tubers• Seperating runners• Stem and tip cuttings• Leaf cuttings• Root cuttings• Seperating gemmae• Tissue culture

Seeds

• Seeds are generally the only way of sexual reproduction from plants

• Seeds originate from the ovules in the flower after pollination and are carried in the fruit in angiosperms

• In the wild seeds are usually germinated in the soil

Division of rhizomes

• Grasses, orchids, strawberries, iris, and calla lilies all have rhizomes

• Rhizomes naturally branch and produce new growths or plants

• Rhizome branches and sections can be cut apart or seperated to produce new plants

Corms and bulbs

• Narcissus, tulipia, and lilium grow from bulbs, crocus and gladiolus grow from corms

• Corms and bulbs naturally produce tiny lateral corms and bulblets that produce separate plants

• Corms an bulbs can be sliced into sections and treated with fungicide and they will produce new plants

Dividing Tubers

• Potatoes and cyclamen grow from stem tubers• Sweet potatoes, daylilies, dahlias, and yams

grow from root tubers• Tubers can produce multiple shoots or

sometimes smaller lateral tubers, these can be cut apart or seperated to produce new plants

Seperating runners

• Strawberries and spider plants produce runners on specialized stems called stolons

• Once these runners get roots they can be cut away from the mother plant and planted on their own

Stem and tip cuttings

• Wandering jews, jade plants, willows, some orchids and, many members of the Euphorbiacea and Crassulaceae families can be propagated using tip cuttings

• Cuttings are taken from the stem with at least two to three node from which roots and new shoots will emerge

Leaf cuttings

• Begonias, jade plants, and many members of the crassulaceae family can be propagated using leaf cuttings

• New plants may emerge from the leaf axil, or another part of the leaf depending on the type of plant

Root cuttings

• Some plants can be propagated using root cuttings

• Taking root cuttings involves taking a section of the root, new roots and shoots will emerge from the cambium in the root.

Gemmae

• Gemmae are small buds that are produced on some plants such as pingulas which will naturally “pop” off and grow into a new plant

Tissue culture

• Tissue culture is a recent discovery of a way to propagate plants asexually

• This method can produce thousands of clones from a single plant

• There are several ways of performing tissue culture which involve using meristems, protoplasts, embryos and microspores

• The tissue is undifferentiated and is introduced to auxins to promote root growth and cytokinins to promote shoot growth

Ways plants grow

• Terrestrial• Semi-Terrestrial• Lithophytic• Epiphytic• Aquatic

Terrestrial

• Terrestrial plants are plants that grow with their roots in soil

• Terrestrial plants exist in every major biome• Most plants in tundra, alpine, taiga, temperate

grassland, and scrubland are terrestrial

Semi-Terrestrial

• These are also called quasi-terrestrials• Semi-terrestrial plants grow with their roots

on top of the soil• Semi-terrestrials typically only exist in wet,

warm areas like tropical rainforests

Lithophytes

• Lithophytes grow with their roots on rocks• Lithophytes grow in tropical rainforests,

temperate rainforests, and sometimes in deciduous forests taiga and tropical savvanna

Epiphytes

• Epiphytes grow with their roots on trees

• Epiphytes are NOT parasites generally• Orchids typically grow in tropical rainforests

but some can be found in tropical savanna, temperate rainforests, deciduous forests, and taiga

Aquatic plants

• Aquatic plants grow with their roots or the entire plant in the water

• Auquatic plants exist in every major biome except alpine and tundra

Other ways plants obtain nutrients

• Carnivorus plants• Mycoheterotrophs• Hemiparasites• holoparasites

Carnivorus plants

• Consume insects and other small animals

• Photosynthesize • Includes dionea,

saracenia, darlingtonia, nepenthes, utricularia, pingula, drosera, and heliamorpha

mycoheterotrophs

• Rely on fungi for food• May or may not

photosynthesize• Often live underground• Many temperate

orchids are mycoheterotrophic or partially mycoheterotrophic

hemiparasites

• Photosynthesize• Obtain some of their

nutrients from other plants

holoparasites

• Obtain all of their nutrients from a host plant

• Often times they consist of only haustoria

• Includes hydnora africana, rafflesia, and cascutta

Noxious weeds

• Linaria vulgaris• Heriacium auriantiacum• Hypericum perforatum• Silybum marianum• Berteroa incana• Cynoglossum officinale• Centaurea Stoebe• Verbascum thapsus

Linaria vulgaris

• Commonly called the yellow toadflax

• Native to europe and northern asia

• Perrenial• 15-90 cm high• Blooms mid summer to

mid autumn

Heriacum auriantiacum

• Commonly called hawkweed

• Grows up to 60 cm in height

• Native to central and southern Europe

Hypericum perforatum

• Commonly called St. Johns wort

• Blooms in summer• 30-100 cm in hieght

Silybum marianum

• Commonly called thistle• Can be an annual or a

biennial • 40-100 cm tall• Flowers from June to

August• Native to southeast

england

Berteroa incana

• Commonly called hoary alyssum

• Can be an annual, biennial, or short lived perennial

• Native to europe

Cynoglossum officinale

• Commonly called houndstounge or gypsy flower

• Can be an annual or biennial

• Blooms from may to September

• Native to Europe

Centaurea stoebe

• Commonly called knapweed

• Native to Europe• Short lived perennial• About 1 metre in height

Verbascum thapsus

• Commonly called mullen

• Native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa

• Biennial

Native plants• Calypso bulbosa• Cypripedium montanum• Lilium columbianum• Anemone multifida• Dodecatheon conjugens• Viola glabella• Frasura albicalus• Balsamorhiza sagittata• Claytonia lanceolata• Erythronium grandiflorum

Calypso bulbosa

• Commonly called fairy slipper

• Is a native orchid• 10-14 cm high• Bloom from may to June• Have only one leaf• If you encounter this

orchid do not step any closer that one metre

Cypripedium montanum

• Commonly called the mountain lady’s slipper

• Is a type of orchid• Grows up to 70 cm tall• Flowers in summer

Lilium columbianum

• Commonly called the tiger lily

• Grows from a bulb• Perrenial• Grows up to 1.2 metres

tall• Flowers in late summer

through early autumn

Anemone multifida

• 10-70 cm tall• Flowers in late spring to

early summer• perrenial

Dodecatheon conjugans

• Commonly called the Bonneville shooting star

• Grows from a bulb• 8-30 centimetres in

height

Viola glabella

• Commonly called the pioneer violet

• 15-30 cm• Perrenial• Blooms late spring to

early summer

Frasura albicaulus

• Commonly called whitestemed frasura

• 30-80 cm• Flowers late spring to

mid summer• Perrenial

Balsamorhizza sagittata

• Commonly called arrowleaf balsamroot

• 20-60 cm • Flowers throughout

summer• Perrenial

Claytonia lanceolata

• Commonly called lanceleaf spring beauty

• Grows up to 15 cm high• Perrenial• Grows from a tuber

Erythronium grandiflorum

• Perrenial• Grows from a bulb• Flowers in mid spring• 10-15 cm high

Native Trees• Pinus ponderosa• Psuedotsuga menziesii• Larix occidentalis• Poplus tremuloides• Poplus trichocarpa• Acer glabrum• Alnus incana• Alnus viridus• Salix bebbena var.bebbiana• Salix drummondrana

Pinus ponderosa

• Commonly called the ponderosa pine

Psuedotsuga menziesii

• Commonly called douglas fir

• The tallest one was 120 metres high!

• The douglas fir is not a fir

Larix occidentalis

• Commonly called tamarack

• This tree is uniquely deciduous

Poplus tremuloides

• Commonly called quaking aspen

• Grows up to 25 metres tall

Poplus trichocarpa

• Commonly called the black cottonwood

Acer glabrum

• Is a species of maple• Grows up to 10 metres

tall

Alnus incana

• Commonly called the grey alder

• Grows to 15-20 metres tall

• Has a life span of 60-100 years

Alnus viridus

• Commonly called the green alder or sitka alder

Salix bebbena var.bebbiana

• Commonlly called the bebb willow

Salix drummondiana

• Commonly called drummond’s willow

• Grows 1-5 metres tall

Rafflesia arnoldii• Largest flower in the

world• Measure 1 metre across• Smells like rotton meat• Flowers wiegh up to 11

kilograms• Holoparasitic• Consists only of haustoria• Grows in indonesian

islands

Rhizanthella gardneri

• This plant grows entirely underground

• Grows in western australia

• Mycoheterotrophic

Amorphophallus titanum

• This is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world

• Tuberous• Grows in the indonesian

islands• Male and female

flowers mature at different times