Natural Cloning In Plants

Question 1

what does natural cloning occur in?

Answer 1

• bulbs (daffodils.)
• runners (strawberry.)
• rhizomes (marram grass.)
• stem tubers (potatoes.)

Question 2

how does natural cloning occur in bulbs?

Answer 2

the leaf bases swell with stored food from photosynthesis. Buds form internally which develop into new shoots

Question 3

how does natural cloning occur in runners?

Answer 3

a lateral stem grows away from the parent plant and new roots develop where the runner touches the ground. A new plant develops and the runner withers away.

Question 4

how does natural cloning occur in rhizomes?

Answer 4

a rhizome is a specialised horizontal stem running underground, often swollen with food. Buds develop and form new vertical shoots which become independent plants.

Question 5

how does natural cloning occur in stem tubers?

Answer 5

the tip of an underground stem becomes swollen with food to form a tuber. buds on the tuber develop to produce new shoots.

Question 6

what are some ways of naturally cloning in horticulture?

Answer 6

• splitting up bulbs.
• removing young plants from runners.
• cutting up rhizomes.
• cuttings.

Question 7

what are plant cuttings?

Answer 7

short sections of stems are taken and planted in pots or into the ground.

Question 8

why are plant cuttings better than seeds?

Answer 8

• a lot quicker.
• guarenteed quality of plants since gentically identical.
• however, lack of genetic variation makes it at risk of being wiped out by disease or an event.

Question 9

how do you increase the success rate of cuttings?

Answer 9

• use a non flowering stem.
• make an oblique cut in the stem (increased surface area.)
• use hormone rooting powder.
• reduce leaves to two or four.
• keep cutting well watered.
• cover the cutting with a plastic bag for a few days.