Plant Morphology

Basic Plant Parts:

Root - absorbing/anchoring organ (sometimes

storage)

Stem - supportive, conductive organ (sometimes

storage)

Leaf - photosynthetic organ (sometimes

modified)
 Shoot
= stem + associated leaves

Bud
= immature shoot,
usually with protective scale leaves
Each leaf
primordium
develops into
one leaf.

Caryota sp.
Arecaceae
 Branch
= elongated shoot, arising from bud
 Plant Habit

Herb - plant with annual above-ground parts

Vine - weak stems, supported by another pl.

Shrub - woody, >1 trunk

Tree - woody, 1 trunk

 Root Types/Parts

taproot fibrous roots

 Root Types/Parts

storage roots Raphanus sativus, radish

 Stem (Shoot) Types

bulb corm
(mostly leaves) (mostly stem)

both underground storage stems

 Stem (Shoot) Types

horizontal, thickened, storage, long internodes, sharp-pointed

underground develops from ends in plantlet stem
stem tip
Leaf Structural Type
 Leaf Structural Type

Stipular Spine - Euphorbia spp. (Euphorbiaceae)

 Leaf Structural Type

Leaf Spine (arising from areole) - Cactaceae

 Leaf Structural Type

Tendril - Lathyrus (Fabaceae)

 Leaf Structural Type

Bract Bud Scale

-modified, usually reduced leaf -modified leaf functioning to
associated with flowers protect apical meristem of bud
 Leaf Type / Parts

simple - blade not divided into leaflets

compound-leaf divided into discrete leaflets

 Leaf Type / Parts

pinnately bipinnately
simple
compound compound
 Leaf Type / Parts

ternate/ palmate
trifoliolate
 leaf arrangement

alternate
opposite whorled
spiral
2 leaves / node 3+ leaves / node
1 leaf / node
 Leaf Venation

2 major types:
parallel - monocots
netted - eudicots
 vestiture
= cover of plant "hairs" (trichomes)
glabrous - smooth, with no trichomes

glaucous - waxy coating

viscid - sticky secretion