Plants

Plants grow almost everywhere on Earth.they give us food to eat,keep the air fresh and make the world look beautiful.without them, animals could not live.now find out more about the different types of plants and different parts of plants.

Types of Plants :

• Tall plants with thick,strong woody stems are called trees.trees live for many years.Name five trees___________________________________________________
• Plants which are of medium heights and have narrow but woody stems are called shrubs.these live for a few years.Name three shrubs_________________________________________
• Plants like grass ,wheat,mint and coriander,which are small and have soft stems,are called herbs.
• Plants like the moneyplant and grapvine,which have narrow and weak stems,need support of trees or poles to climb.such plants are called climbers.
• Pumpkin and watermelon plants also have narrow and weak stems.But these creep on the ground.they bear big and heavy fruits,so they cannot climb on a support.such plants are called creeper.

now that you know how plants are classified according to the type of stem they have,arrange the following plants under the correct heading.

Parts of Plant:

The Root:This part of the plants grows under the ground.it absorbs water and minerals from the soil.It fixes the plant to the soil.

Roots are of two types-Tap Root and Fibrous Root.

• Tap root-Some plants have one main root with thinner roots growing from it.These roots grow into the soil.Most trees have tap roots.Carrots,radish and beetroots are tap roots.
• Fibrous Roots-Some plants dont have a main root.They have a bunch of small roots.Plants like grasses,wheat etc. have fibrous roots.Coconut trees have fibrous root,too.

The Stem:This part of the plant grows above the ground.It helps the plant to stand firm.It bears leaves,flowers and fruits.The stem also carries water,minarals and food,prepared by the leaves,to the different parts of the plant.

There are small tubes inside the stem that help it to carry these things to the different parts of the plants.Some stems grow under the ground also .Such stems store food for the plant.

Did you know that potato,onion,ginger and garlic are not roots ,but stems!The sugrcane that we eat is actually the stem of the plant.

The Leaf-The leaves of a plant are mostly green in colour.Leaves are of different types and sizes,for example..big(banana),small(mint),feather-like(coconut).Leaves may be of different types and sizes but they have some common features.

The green colour of the leaves is because of chlorophyll.Leaves are known as the food factory of the plant. Leaves prepare food with the help of chlorophyll,water,sunlight and air.they use the carbon dioxide present in the air to prepare their food.This process is called photosynthesis.

As plants prepare food they also produce oxygen,which is released into the air.this helps to purify the air.

The Flower- This is the most attractive and colourful part of the plant.Flowes which do not have bright colours often have a pleasant smell. A flower is actually the seed-box of the plant.

You must have seen butterflies,bees and other insects visit the flowers.

what attracts them?

They are attracted by the bright colours and the pleasant scent.But why do they keep visiting the flowers again and again? Flowers have nector in them.this nector is the food for the bees and butterflies. Insects help to carry the pollen(yellow powdery substance) to other flowers.this helps the flowers to make seeds.This is called pollination.

The Flower- Fruits store seeds in them.The seeds grow into new plants.

• Name some fruits that have only one seed_________________.
• Name some fruits that have many seeds___________________.
• Name some fruits that have no seeds_________________.

Points to Remember:

• Trees are tall plants with hard and woody stem.
• Shrubs are plants of medium height,with hard and woody stems.
• Herbs are small plants with soft green stems.
• Creepers and Climbers have narrow weak stems.they either creep on the ground or climb up on support.
• The root grows under the ground.it absorbs water and minerals from the soil and supplies it to the plant.
• There are two types of roots-tap root and fibrous root.
• Stem is the part of the plant that grows above the ground.
• Potato,ginger,onion and garlic are actually stems that grow underground.
• The stem carries food tot he different parts of the plant.It bears leaves,flowers and fruits.
• Leaves have a green substance called chlorophyll in it.
• Leaves prepare food for the plant with the help of chlorophyll,water,sunlight and carbon dioxide.This process is called photosysnthesis.
• Flowers are the most attractive part of the plan.Most flowers make nectar.
• Fruits contain seeds.
• Seeds give birth to new plants.