Root morphology

Morphology

· Morphology- it is the study of external and gross internal structures of the plant organs.

v Plant habit - it refers to general form of the plant. examples- herbs ,geophyte ,vine liana shrubs etc.

· Herbs – plant which have no woody part in it’s life cycle . examples– cabbage ,metha etc.

· Geophytes – plant having a bulb ,corm rhizome or tuber as underground stem. Examples – ginger,tuberose etc.

· Vine- plant with elongate weak stem, which are generally supported by twining , tendrils or roots. Examples - cucumber, melon etc.

· Liana - a vine that is perennial & woody. Examples- Grapevine

· Shurbs – it is a perennial woody plant with several main stem arising at ground level . examples – Duranta

· Subshurbs - it is a short shurbs that is woody at base and nonwoody annual shoot and upper part of plant . examples –

· Tree – it is tall perennial , woody plant having one main stem. Examples – mango , banyan etc.

v Plant habitat - it refers to the environment in which it grows . examples -terrestrial, aquatic,sexicolous etc.

· Terrestrial - Growing on land . examples – mango.

· Aquatic- growing in or on water. It’s mainly three types –

§ Emersed – Growing under water. examples – hydra etc

§ Emergent – plant having root or stem under water and arial shoot are above the water. Examples = lotus , water lily.

§ Floating - Growing at the surface of water . examples – water hykenth

· Sexicolous - Growing on rock – examples –mushroom

v Root – the part of plant which attach to the ground or to support ,it grows under the ground and takes in water and food from the soil.

· Primary roots- the first root which are develops from redical of the embryo is called primary root.

· Lateral roots - the root which develops from primary roots .

· Adventitious roots- root which are develop from stem or leaf.

Type of roots

· Tap root – if primary root become dominant that’s called tap root . examples – dicotyledonous

· Fibrous root – when the primary root not becomr dominant then many othe thin roots are arises from stem ,it’s called fibrous root. Examples – monocotyledonous.

· Storage root- the plant in which the root become very thicked accumulating high energy storage compound like starch . examples – rsddish ,carrot etc.

· Aerial roots – a root that develops from a location on a plant above the surface of the earth or water. Examples – orchids

· Contractile roots – that function to adjust the depth of the bulb or corm in the soil . these thickend roots expand and conduct to pull the bulb or corm down to it’s proper soil depth. Examples – onion, garlic and other bulb and corm plant.

· Houstoria – highly modified stem or root of parasitic plant or a specialized branch or tube originating from a hairlike filament of a fungus. It penetrates the tissue of a host & absorbes nutrient & water . examples- cuscuta, orabache etc.

· Prop root – these are adventitious root which are grown from the base of stem & function to support the plant. Examples- maize,keura etc.

· Pneumatophores roots - the roots grow upwardly from soil to air, that function to obtain more oxygen & water. Examples –coconut etc.

· Butteress root – these roots are grow horizontally in the soil. These roots not grow to deep in the soil . they are found in nutrient poor tropical forest. That type soil have no deep depth.

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