worksheets+on+plants

TREE Tree has a woody stem called trunk and the covering on the trunk is called bark. Tree gives us shade, fruits, flowers, wood, paper and most importantly oxygen. Trees keep on growing throughout their life. The age of the tree can be determined by taking a cross section of the trunk and counting the number of rings. Bristle pine cone is the oldest tree, about 4900 years old. A red wood is the tallest tree. National tree of India is the banyan tree. Animals living on trees are called arboreal. Rainforest is very humid, warm and is full of trees. Bishnoi community worship Mother Nature and help us to preserve it. Chipko movement was started to hug the tree and not allowing it to be cut. As we have a family tree, we can also plant a tree in the memory of a beloved. Trees can alter the environment by cooling it down. Deciduous trees shed their leaves and looks barren .it does not mean that evergreen does not shed their leaves; it does but not all at once. Bonsai are miniatures of trees that require special care and pruning.

GRASS Short grass is called lawn, e.g.: lawn. Tall grasses are found in savanna grasslands.it facilitates ambushing for the predators. Tallest grass is bamboo. Lemon grass is used in tea. Sports like cricket, hockey, football, lawn tennis, rugby, baseball, etc. are played on grass. Animals that eat grass are called graminivores. We always look down upon grass, but it gives 90% of the food that reaches us. Did u know that? Rice wheat, corns are borne by the grass. Dry grass can be coloured and used as decorative item.

HERBS Herbs have weak stems and have medicinal values. Basil is a holy herb. Indian cooking uses lots of herbs which not only gives flavor but is also good for health. We use seeds of some herbs like fenugreek, coriander. We use leaves of some herbs like bay leaf, sage oregano. We use seed and leaves of herbs like fenugreek, coriander.

SHRUBS Shrubs are woody plants smaller than the trees. They start branching from a low level. Shrubs that bear fruit vegetables are okra, tomatoes, brinjal.Shrubs that bear flowers are periwinkle, ixora, lantana rose, marigold, etc. Climbers have weak stem and require support. Climbers take support by the tendrils and grow. Grape grows on herbaceous vines. Money plant is a climber; peeper plant is also a climber. Pumpkin grows on a creeper.

FLOWER and POLLINATION A person who sells the flowers is called a florist. Flowers have 2 external parts, sepals (calyx) and petals (corolla).sepals are green in color and protect the flower when it is in bud condition but the petals are colorful and therefore the flower looks colorful. Flowers are colorful and have fragrance to attract the bees and the insects. Cauliflower and broccoli are the flower vegetables, clove is the flower spice, saffron –the most expensive spice is also a part of crocus sativus flower. Lotus and water lily are aquatic plants. Lotus is the national flower of India. Flowers are also used as symbols.eg.rose and poppy. Flowers are not only for ornamental purpose but they also provide with some vital medicines.eg: foxglove, glory liy,etc. Rafflesia is the broadest flower an titan arum is the tallest flower (9 ft.).Both are found in the rainforest. When the insects visit the flower they drink nectar and in turn pollens get stuck on to their body. They visit hundreds of flowers in a day, picking some pollen and dropping some pollen. This is called pollination. After pollination the flower turns into fruit. Bee and ants are common pollinators. Other pollinators are sunbird, hummingbird, butterfly, moth and bat. White flowers are clearly visible at night, so they are pollinated by nocturnal pollinators like bat and moth. Flowers of some plant are neither attractive nor do they have fragrance. Then without pollinators how do they pollinate……..let me know;)

FRUITS and SEED Seeds are enclosed in fruits. Fruits have seeds which help to grow a new plant. Vegetables are the different parts of the plant.so fruits can be vegetables but vegetables cannot be fruit. Some fruit vegetables that we eat are tomatoes, bottle gourd, brinjal, ladyfinger, etc. Fruits are good for our health, so it is good to include them in our diet. Crunching a fruit is better than fruit juice. Fruits may have edible (rose apple) or nonedible (water melon) skin. Fruits mat have edible (banana) or nonedible (orange) seed. Jackfruit is the largest fruit. Fruits have attractive color and/or fruity fragrance to invite the frugivores. Frugivores helps in spreading the seeds thereby growing a new plant. Did u know that rice, wheat; our everyday food grains are actually the seed of the plant. Some seed spices that we use in our everyday cooking are fenugreek, mustard, cumin, etc. Coconut is a big seed but coco de mer is the biggest seed. Seed are dispersed not only by the animals and birds but also by wind and water.

LEAVES, TRANSPIRATION AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS Cabbage, lettuce, colocassia (patra\aloowadi) are all leaf that we eat. Bay leaf is a leaf spice that we use in pulav. Mehendi that we apply on our palms and hand is also prepared from the pulp of henna leaves. Leaves are of different shapes and sizes. They also have different margins like serrated and smooth. Longest leaf is of raffia palm .It grows to a height of 65 feet. Leaf are modified as in cactus (to conserve water), carnivorous plants (to trap insects), poinsettia (to attract pollinators) etc. Animals that eat only leaves are called folivores.sloth eats leaves of variety of plants whereas koala eats leaves of eucalyptus plant. Leaves are green because of pigment called chlorophyll. Photosynthesis is the process by which the leaves prepare food for the plant. Photo means light (sunlight) and synthesis means to prepare. Leaves prepare food with the help from chlorophyll (which is present in the leaves) carbon di oxide (which is present in the air) water (drawn from the roots) and sunlight. Pluck all the leaves and the plant will stop growing, as the plant will have no food. During the process of photosynthesis, oxygen and water are given out. The process of giving out excess water through leaves is called transpiration. Transpiration plays a vital role in water cycle. So area that has plenty of trees receives more rainfall as compared to places with fewer trees.

Roots and stem Roots absorb water and minerals from the soil’ Roots anchors (holds) the plant. Roots prevent soil erosion. Root vegetables that we eat are carrot,radish ,beetroot,etc., Roots do not mirror the growth of the plant. Our national tree(banyan tree) has aerial roots. When is seed is sowed,the root grows first and later the shoot grows. Licorice(jethimadh) and sarsaparilla are root medicines used for respiratory and urinary complaints respectively. Stem of the tree is called trunk. Stems grow towards sunlight. Stem transport the fluids from roots. Stem supports the branches and elevates the leaves. Age of a plant is known by rings on the stem. Potato and asparagus are stem vegetables and ginger is the stem spice. Cinnamon spice is obtained from the bark of the tree and sugarcane is also a stem,whose juice we all relish. Medicines such as curare and quinine is also obtained from the stem. Rubber is also obtained from stem which is used to make erasers,gloves,tyres and rubberbands