Introduction to Botany Jan Zientek Senior Program Coordinator Cooperative Extension of Essex County zientek@njaes.rutgers.edu 1
Basic Botany The study of the growth, structure and function of plants Plant Functions BOTANY Evolution Taxonomy Plant morphology Plant physiology and cell biology Plant reproduction Plant hormones and growth regulators 2
PLANTAE Eukaryotic (with a nucleus) Cell walls with cellulose Food stored as carbohydrate Multi-cellular autotrophs Chloroplasts (green) Non-motile Several phlyum Development of pollen DOMAIN KINGDOM PHYLUM CLASS ORDER FAMILY Genus species Common Name vs Scientific Name Foxglove Maybe local name General Digitalis purpurea Universally recognized Specific 3
Common Name vs Scientific Name Fire bush Scarlet bush Texas firecracker Corail (or is it Koray?) Polly red head Hamelia patens Hummingbird bush Ix-canan Plant Types Mosses are non-vascular plants -- they cannot transport fluids through their bodies. Instead, they must rely on surrounding moisture to do this job for them. Ferns and allies have a vascular system to transport fluids through their bodies but like the mosses, they reproduce from spores rather than seeds. The main phylum, theferns (Filicinophyta = Pteridop hyta) includes around 12,000 species. 4
Monocots: have a single cotyledon (seed leaf), flower parts in multiples of three, parallel venation of leaves, scattered vascular bundles in stems. Around 30,000 plants are classified as monocots including many of the prettiest members of kingdomplantae: orchids, lilies, irises, palms and even the Bird-of-Paradise plant. The grasses which carpet our lawns and meadows are also monocots. Dicots: The vast majority of plants are Dicots. Most trees, shrubs, vines, and flowers belong to this group of around 200,000 species. Most fruits, vegetables and legumes come from this class. They have two cotyledons, flower parts in multiples of 4 or 5, netted veins, and stems which are organized in a ring pattern. Plants can be classified by the type of their seed structure Gymnosperm: naked seed Angiosperm: seed within a fruiting body 5
The gymnosperms add the next level of complexity to plant evolution: they reproduce from seeds instead of spores. The seeds, however, are "naked" - not covered by an ovary. Usually, the seed is produced inside a cone-like structure such as a pine cone hence the name "conifer." Some conifers, such as the Yew and Ginko, produce their seeds inside a berry-like structure. Conifers are fairly easy to identify: In addition to the aforementioned cones, these trees and shrubs typically have needle-like, scale-like or awl-like leaves. And they never have flowers. Lifecycles help gardeners distinguish between plants: Annuals Biennials Perennials 6
Annuals complete life cycles in one season Biennials live for 2 years, flower, then die Perennials live for 3 or more years, flower each year and usually do not die after flowering. Structures of Plants Roots Stems Leaves Flowers Seeds 7
Examples of Stem Structure 8
Herbaceous monocot and dicot stem Root cross-section 9
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Apical meristem: point of vigorous cell division and growth Leaves Are the center of food production in the plant Photosynthesis and respiration occur there Leaves are either simple (one blade) or compound (multiple blades) 11
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Stomata Are sexual organs Inflorescence Perfect flower Imperfect flower Monoecious Dioecious Flowers 13
The Flower Photosynthesis Is the chemical process that creates complex sugars from water, carbon dioxide and sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplast Chlorophyll is the green pigment that allows photosynthesis to occur. 14
http://www.usna.usda.gov/hardzo ne/ushzmap.html? RESPIRATION The transformation of stored chemical energy to usable energy for growth and development C 6 H 12 O 6 plus O2 6CO 2 + 6H 2 O + energy TRANSPIRATION The uptake and release of liquids and gases, especially water and CO 2, by plants. Important in the regulation of water within the plant (wilt, turgor, stomatal activity, etc.) 15
Hormones Chemical substances that control patterns of growth and development, and responses to environmental conditions 16
Influencing Plant Growth Auxin phototropism, gravitropism, apical dominance Gibberellins increased plant and fruit size Cytokinins cell division, sprouting Dormin accelerates abscission, promotes dormancy Ethylene fruit ripening, senescence Gardeners use hormones to induce flowering, fruiting, root cuttings, induce or break dormancy, ripen fruit or seeds, chemically prune plants, and control growth. plant hormone video.avi http://www.5min.com/video/plant- Physiology-Phototropic-Response- 1354341 17
References Biology, by Miller and Levine, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2002 Botany: A Golden Guide, by Alexander, Burnett and Zim, Golden Press, NY, 1970 Botany for Gardeners, by Capon, Timber Press, Portland, OR, 2005 Horticultural Science, by Jannick, Freeman and Co., San Francisco, CA, 1972 Plant Physiology, by Bidwell, MacMillan Publishing Co., NY, 1979 18