A flowering plant’s morphology comprises the roots, stem, leaves, flowers, and fruits, even though angiosperms exhibit such a wide range of exterior structure and shape. Let’s take a closer look at the flowering plants and morphology of flowering plants characteristics in detail.

Morphology

Morphology is a discipline of biology concerned with the study of organisms’ shape and structure, as well as their unique structural traits. This comprises features of the outer appearance (shape, structure, colour, pattern, and size), referred to as external morphology, as well as the form and structure of interior parts referred to as internal morphology. Morphology of flowering plants includes the root and shoot system, flower, etc.

Flowering plants 

Flowering plants are the most diverse group of terrestrial plants, with over 300,000 species recognised. Seed-bearing fruits are produced by these plants, which are also called angiosperms. Gymnosperms evolved into flowering plants during the Triassic period, with the first flowering plant appearing 140 million years ago.

Flowers are the reproductive organs of flowering plants, and they are the most noticeable trait that separates them from other seed plants. These have resulted in angiosperm speciation, which allows them to adapt to a variety of ecological niches.

Whenever we examine the morphology of flowering plants, we could see that a plant has two systems: the root system and the shoot system. The underlying portion is known as the root, while the upper portion is known as the shoot.

Root system (Root)

The root is the generally lower component of a seed plant body that arises from the hypocotyl, serves as an organ of absorption, aeration, and food storage, or as a method of anchoring and support, and varies from a stem in that it lacks nodes, buds, and leaves.

A plant’s root is a brown, nongreen, subterranean portion of the plant. A root system is a grouping of roots and their branches. In the majority of dicotyledonous plants, direct radicle elongation results in the creation of the main root that develops inside the soil. It has lateral roots of several orders, which are referred to as secondary, tertiary, and so on.

It is classified into three types: taproot system, Fibrous root System, Adventitious root System.

Taproot system

Taproots are usually found in dicotyledonous plants. They grow from the germinating seed’s radicle, together with its major roots and branches, giving rise to the taproot system. Dicotyledonous plants have taproot systems which include mustard seed as an example.

Fibrous root System

The fibrous root is prevalent mostly in ferns and all monocotyledonous plants. This root grows from the stem and is formed of thin, modestly branched roots or main roots. Because the fibrous root system does not normally dig deep into the soil, when fully matured, these roots resemble a mat or carpet on the floor. Carrots, onion, paddy, wheat, and grass are among monocotyledonous plants having fibrous root systems.

Adventitious root System

The adventitious root system refers to roots that grow from any portion of the plant other than the radicle. This root structure is found mostly in monocotyledonous plants. The adventitious root system of plants is employed for a variety of reasons, including mechanical support, vegetative propagation, and so on. Monocotyledonous plants have adventitious root systems which include the oak tree, banyan tree, horsetails, and maize.

Shoot system

The shoot system is indeed an aerial and upright portion of the plant that develops upwards. It grows from the plumule of the embryo and is frequently found above ground. It is made up of the stem, branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds.

Stem 

The rising portion of the axis that bears branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits is known as the stem. It grows from the plumule of a developing seed embryo. The stem has buds that might be terminal or axillary. When young, the stem is normally green, but it quickly turns woody and dark brown. The stem’s primary role is to send out branches that carry leaves, flowers, and fruits. Water with minerals and all other nutrients are all carried by stem. Some stems serve as food storage, support, protection, and vegetative propagation.

Modifications of stem 

The stem may not always be indicative of what is expected of it. They have been customised to serve many purposes.

Some modifications included, 

1. Underground stems :

             They’ve been modified to hold food. Ex: potato.

2. Stem tendrils :

            Stem tendrils, which emerge from axillary buds and are thin and spirally coiled, assist plants in climbing, such as in gourds.

3. Thorns :

Stem axillary buds can also be transformed into woody, straight, and pointed 

4. Suckers: 

 A sucker is a plant growth that sprouts from the rootstock of a grafted plant.

5. Runners: 

Some plants’ underground stems grow to new niches, and as older sections die, new plants develop. For example, grass and strawberry

6. Climbers: 

Climbers are plants that use the support of neighbouring structures to climb higher. They have a flimsy stem. For instance, grapes, money plants, and beans.

Leaf 

The leaf is a flattened, laterally borne structure. It is the primary photosynthetic component.

By the Venation which denotes the arrangement of veins and veinlets in a leaf, we can classify leaves.

Based on the design of a leaf blade, leaves are further categorised into simple and complex leaves. Other types of leaves are classed according to their forms, leaf configurations, and Venation.

Flowers 

In angiosperms, the reproductive unit is the flower. These are the major elements of these plants that are in charge of sexual reproduction. Simply put, without blooms, these angiosperms will be unable to reproduce more of themselves! A typical flower includes four distinct whorls grouped sequentially on the swelling end of the stalk or pedicel, known as the thalamus or receptacle.

These four components that are parts of a flower are known as the calyx, corolla, androecium, and gynoecium. The calyx and corolla are secondary organs. Androecium and gynoecium, on the other hand, are reproductive organs.

Flower pollination also helps in identifying the type of plant-based pollinating medium, structures that help in pollination, etc. 

Fruits 

The fruit, which is a ripened or mature ovary, is the distinguishing feature of flowering plants, and the seed is what the ovules grow into the following fertilisation. 

Fruits are categorised into three groups mostly depending on their way of development: simple, aggregate, and composite.

Seed 

A seed is a fundamental component of a plant that is present within the fruit. It generally has a seed coat outer covering and an embryo, developing plant. The pericarp develops from the ovary wall during fruit formation. The ovary wall of certain plants entirely dries out, whereas the ovary wall of others remains squishy. 

Seeds are further categorised into two categories based on the number of cotyledons: 

1. Dicotyledonous seeds,
2. Monocotyledonous seeds.

Conclusion 

It is important to study Plant Morphology as it discusses the physical shape of plants as well. Plant Morphology is extremely important for visually identifying plants. It is the study of plant structure, development, and shape. This discipline has four major areas of inquiry, each of which intersects with another area of biological sciences.