General Botany Laboratory

Group no._____________

Group members:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Date:__________________

Forms of Plants
Objectives:
Following this exercise the students should be able to:
 Identify the different forms of plants
 Recognize the differences between the different forms of plants.

Introduction:

Plants with different growth forms and habits will characterize different habitats and stages of
succession. In order to understand the processes of succession, you should be familiar with the major
strategies of plant growth and form. One of the major differences in life history strategies among plants
is how long they take to complete their life cycles. Annual plants (annuals) complete their cycles in a
single year. Seeds germinate in the spring, all individuals flower during the summer, and drop seeds in
the fall. These plants live only a single year. Because they have only a single chance to reproduce,
annual plants produce large numbers of seeds; often only, a few of these many seeds survive. In
contrast, perennial plants (perennials) live for many years. Perennials flower and produce seeds for
many growing seasons. Since they have multiple chances to reproduce, they may produce fewer seeds,
which have a better chance of survival. Some plants are biennials, and have a life cycle, which lasts two
years. These plants store energy, build a strong root system the first year, over winter as a low rosette of
leaves, then flower, and produce seeds during their second summer. After they produce seeds, the
plants die. Relatively few plant species are biennials, and most of these are weeds.

Plants come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, but can be classified into a few growth forms,
or anatomical types. Herbaceous plants (herbs) lack above ground woody tissue. Herbaceous plants
include grasses, "weeds", and most common wild and garden flowers. All annuals and biennials are
herbaceous; many perennials are also herbaceous. Herbaceous plants devote most of their energy to
rapid growth and production of flowers and seeds. Shrubs are smaller woody plants, usually less than 3
meters high. Shrubs have multiple stems arising from (or close to) ground level. Trees are large woody
plants, usually over nine meters in height, usually with a single main stem. Trees and shrubs are all
perennials, and they devote their first few years to production of energetically expensive woody tissue.
They delay reproduction in order to use resources to produce permanent structures. Vines have
elongate stems adapted for climbing. They may produce tendrils that help them to cling to trees and
shrubs. Vines may or not have woody tissue.
Source: http://bio.rutgers.edu/~gb102/lab_13/13i2m.html

Activity

1. Familiarize yourself with the specific areas inside UST (you may download a map on the
internet).
2. Inside the campus, locate 5 examples of trees, 5 shrubs, 5 herbs, and 5 examples of vines.
Identify the scientific name and common name of each example; take a clear field photograph
of the vegetative parts, and reproductive parts if there are any.

Materials

 Camera (You may use your phone camera)

Form Identification Field photograph Location inside UST

1 Tree Scientific Name: Vegetative part:

Common Name: Reproductive part:
2 Tree Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
3 Tree Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
4 Tree Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
5 Tree Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
6 shrub Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
7 Shrub Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
8 Shrub Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
9 Shrub Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
10 shrub Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
11 Herb Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
12 Herb Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
13 Herb Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
14 Herb Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
15 Herb Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
16 Vines Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
17 Vines Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
18 Vines Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
19 Vines Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part:
20 Vines Scientific Name: Vegetative part:
Common Name: Reproductive part: