Morphology of Flowering Plants

Plants that bloom is known as flowering plants. Flowering plants are the most diverse group of land plants, with over 300,000 known species representing a quarter of the total. 

These plants, which are also known as angiosperms, are capable of producing fruit that contains seeds. Scientists believe flowering plants evolved from gymnosperms during the Triassic period, and that the first flowering plant appeared 140 million years ago, during the Triassic period. Plants that flower are characterised by the presence of flowers, which are the reproductive organs of the plant and the most significant characteristic that 

distinguishes them from other seed plants. These have resulted in the speciation of angiosperms, which has enabled them to adapt to a wide range of ecological niches over time. The process of pollination is used by flowering plants to reproduce themselves. It is during this process that pollen grains are transferred from the anther of the male flowers to the stigma of the female flowers, where fertilisation takes place and a seed is formed. When we examine the morphology of flowering plants, we find that they have two systems: the root system and the shoot system. The underground portion is referred to as the root, and the portion above ground is referred to as the shoot.

System of Roots

The root of a plant is a brown, nongreen, and underground portion of the plant’s structure. A root system is a collection of roots and their branches that work together to support the plant. 

There are three different types of root systems:

Taproot system

• The taproot can be found in the majority of dicotyledonous plants. 
• The taproot system develops from the radicle of the germinating seed, along with its primary roots and branches, and is responsible for the formation of the taproot network. 
• Dicotyledonous plants with a taproot system include mustard seeds, mangoes, grams, and banyan trees, to name just a few examples.

Fibrous root System

• Ferns, as well as all monocotyledonous plants, have fibrous roots as their primary source of nutrition.
• This root system is formed by thin, moderately branching roots, also known as primary roots, that grow from the stem.
• Because the fibrous root system does not typically penetrate deeply into the soil, when the plant reaches full maturity, the roots appear as a mat or a carpet on the ground. 
• A few examples of monocotyledonous plants with fibrous root systems include wheat, paddy, grass, carrots, onion, and grass, to name a few.

The adventitious root system 

It is referred to as the adventitious root system when the roots originate from any part of the plant body other than the radicle of the plant. This type of root system can be found in the majority of monocotyledonous plants. 

Adventitious root systems in plants are used for a variety of purposes, including mechanical support, vegetative propagation, and other types of propagation. The adventitious root system is found in monocotyledonous plants such as the banyan tree, maize, oak trees, and horsetails, to name a few examples.

The Root’s Functions

The following are some of the general functions of a root:

1. Plants attach to the earth because of their roots. They provide support for the plant’s body, allowing it to stand upright.
2. The roots’ main job is to take up water and dissolved minerals from soil. This is critical since it aids in the photosynthesis process.
3. Plants use starch to make food and store it in their leaves, branches, and roots. Carrots, radish, and beetroot are just a few examples
4. They prevent soil erosion, supply food, and serve as a habitat for a variety of organisms.

Root System Regions

A root’s three regions are as follows:

• The Root Cap is a type of cap that has a root in it.
• This is the stage of maturation.
• Elongation is a geographical feature.
• Shooting System is an acronym that stands for “shoot system” in English.

The stem of the plant is also an extremely important component. There are branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits on the ascending portion of the plant’s axis. 

It also aids in the conduction of water and minerals. It is the aerial part of the plant that develops from the plumule of an embryo or the germinating seeds of a seedling.

Young stems are typically green in colour, but as they mature, they become woody and brown in appearance. The stem is modified into specific structures based on the function that they perform on the body.

Flowers

• The reproductive organ of the plant is represented by the flowers. 
• The arrangement of flowers along the floral axis is referred to as an inflorescence, which is composed of two major parts: racemose, which allows the main axis to continue growing, and cymose, which causes the main axis to terminate in a flow.

It is composed of four different whorls, as follows:

• The calyx is the outermost of the four petals.
• The corolla is made up of petals.
• The androecium is made up of stamens.
• The gynoecium is a reproductive organ made up of one or more carpels.
• The process of pollination is responsible for the reproduction of all plants. It is the process by which pollen is transferred from the anther to the stigma of a plant, whether the plants are the same or different.

Stems

The part of the plant that extends above the surface of the soil is known as the stem, and it exhibits negative geotropic growth as well as nodes and internodes, among other characteristics. These nodes aid in the development of various plant parts such as branches, leaves, flower buds, and bracts, among others. In plants, the plumule is a portion of the plant from which the stem emerges. Ground-Level Stem ModificationsGround-level modifications of stems are most commonly used for food storage and vegetative propagation purposes.

• Tubers are the stems in which the underground branches become swollen in the soil, and they are found in the soil. 
• The axillary buds, which are covered with scaly leaves, have eyes on them. As an illustration, consider the potato.
• Rhizomes are fleshy, horizontal stems that grow below the soil’s surface, and are found in many plants. It is found in the rhizomes, which are covered with scaly leaves, that the nodes and internodes are found. Turmeric is an example.
• Corms are stems with condensed structures that grow vertically beneath the soil and are distinguished from other types of stems. Saffron is an example.
• Known as bulbs, these reduced stems with disc-like structures and numerous fleshy scaly leaves are surrounded by a dense covering of fleshy scaly leaves. The majority of the roots grow from the base of the tree. Fruits and vegetables can be stored for longer periods thanks to the fleshy leaves. An example is an onion.

Conclusion

Horticulture is a branch of science that is concerned with the study of the forms and characteristics of the various plant organs, such as the roots, flowers, stems, and leaves of the plant, as well as the seeds, fruits, and so on. The shoot of a plant is made up of stems, flowers, leaves, and fruits, among other things. It is the roots, stems, and leaves of plants that are considered the vegetative parts, whereas the flowers are considered the reproductive parts of plants.