Plant Morphology

Basic Plant Parts: Root - absorbing/anchoring organ (sometimes storage) Stem - supportive, conductive organ (sometimes storage) Leaf - photosynthetic organ (sometimes modified)

Shoot
= stem + associated leaves

Bud
= immature shoot, usually with protective scale leaves

Each leaf primordium develops into one leaf.

Caryota sp. Arecaceae

Branch
= elongated shoot, arising from bud

Plant Habit
Herb - plant with annual above-ground parts Vine - weak stems, supported by another pl. Shrub - woody, >1 trunk Tree - woody, 1 trunk

Root Types/Parts

taproot

fibrous roots

Root Types/Parts

storage roots Raphanus sativus, radish

Stem (Shoot) Types

bulb
(mostly leaves)

corm
(mostly stem)

both underground storage stems

Stem (Shoot) Types

horizontal, thickened, storage, underground develops from stem tip

long internodes, ends in plantlet

sharp-pointed stem

Leaf Structural Type

Leaf Structural Type

Stipular Spine - Euphorbia spp. (Euphorbiaceae)

Leaf Structural Type

Leaf Spine (arising from areole) - Cactaceae

Leaf Structural Type

Tendril - Lathyrus (Fabaceae)

Leaf Structural Type

Bract -modified, usually reduced leaf associated with flowers

Bud Scale -modified leaf functioning to protect apical meristem of bud

Leaf Type / Parts

simple - blade not divided into leaflets

compound-leaf divided into discrete leaflets

Leaf Type / Parts

simple

pinnately compound

bipinnately compound

Leaf Type / Parts

ternate/ trifoliolate

palmate

leaf arrangement

alternate spiral 1 leaf / node

opposite 2 leaves / node

whorled 3+ leaves / node

Leaf Venation

2 major types: parallel - monocots netted - eudicots

vestiture = cover of plant "hairs" (trichomes)

glabrous - smooth, with no trichomes glaucous - waxy coating

viscid - sticky secretion