W6 - Botany - Plant Modifications Flashcards
What are plant modifications?
Plants modify their basic structures (leaves, stems, roots, and buds) to help them survive in challenging environments.
Name three environments where plant adaptations are crucial.
- Dry environments with limited water
- Areas with high herbivory pressure
- Low light environments like rainforest floors
True or False: Rhizomes are always fleshy.
FALSE
True or False: A bulb usually produces more baby plants each year than a corm.
TRUE
What are the 6 key LEAF modifications for xerophytic plants?
- Spines
- Scale Leaves
- Spathe
- Bracts
- Phyllode
- Tendril
Fill in the blank: _______ are rigid, sharply pointed leaves that have no leaf blade.
[Spines]
What is a cladode?
A broad flat green stem that functions as a leaf.
Name a modification that helps plants reduce water loss.
- Reduced Stomata
- Succulent Leaves
- Waxy or Hairy Leaf Surfaces
- Reduced Leaf Size
True or False: Epicormic buds are visible indications of a stressed tree.
TRUE
What is the function of lignotubers?
Allow regrowth after fire or severe damage.
Fill in the blank: _______ are modified stems that grow from leaf axils or at branch tips.
[Thorns]
What adaptations do climbing plants have to reach light?
- Tendrils
- Twining Stems
- Hooks/Prickles
- Adventitious Climbing Roots
What are pneumatophores?
Roots that emerge out of waterlogged soils to obtain oxygen.
What is the difference between annual and biennial plants?
Annuals complete their life cycle in one year; biennials complete it in two.
Fill in the blank: A _______ is a solid, swollen stem base with nodes and axillary buds.
[Corm]
What are the characteristics of monocotyledons?
- One cotyledon
- Soft-wooded only
- Fibrous roots of equal diameter
- Scattered vascular bundles
- Flowers in multiples of three
What is the taxonomic rank just above species?
Genus
True or False: Cultivars must be vegetatively propagated.
TRUE
What family is characterized by fused stamens forming a tube/column?
[MALVACEAE]
List three examples of the family Apocynaceae.
- Mandevilla
- Oleander
- Plumeria (Frangipani)
What is cauliflory?
Flowers and fruits growing directly from woody stems or trunks.
Fill in the blank: _______ are roots that grow into another plant to take their food supply.
[Parasitic Roots]
What are the two categories of hard-wooded perennials?
- Evergreen Hard-wooded
- Deciduous Hard-wooded
