Observing God's World Ch 1: Plentiful Plants
Ray flowers and disk flowers
2 types of flowers that make up a daisy
Why a tree's leaves change color in the fall
Because trees grow a wall of cork cells between the twig and the base of each leaf stem. This layer blocks the flow of water and minerals into the leaf. The leaf stops manufacturing new chlorophyll because it is cut off from the nutrients. As the chlorophyll deteriorates, bright yellow and orange pigments in the leaf begin to show through.
photosynthesis
The chemical process whereby plants produce food inside their leaves
taproot
The one main root that a plant sends particularly deep
composite family
This is the largest family of flowering plants; each flower is actually a combination of many small flowers
embryo, cotyledon, seed coat
Three parts of a seed
insectivorous plants
Venus's flytrap, bladderwort, pitcher plant, sundew
bulb
a "storehouse" made with layers of thick, fleshy leaves that surround a very short stem from which a lily grows
live oak
a broadleaf evergreen
bald cypress
a deciduous conifer growing in swamps of the South; projecting portions of its roots are called knees
larch (tamarack)
a deciduous conifer with needles that turn deep gold before falling to the ground
mildew
a fungus that can grow on wet clothes, shower stalls, and plants
mushroom
a fungus that produces a fruiting body shaked like an umbrella or cup
mold
a fungus used to make penicillin and cheese
kelp
a kind of brown alga that is the largest type of aga
modified leaf
a kind of leaf that has a special design for a special function
algae
a large group of plants found all over the world that do not need tubes to transport food;l some are the smallest green plants
mycelium
a network of cells strung together in a threadlike structure that makes up the main part of fungus
hybrid
a new variety of plant produced by cross-fertilizing related plants
guard cells
a pair of cells that surrounds each stoma on a leaf to control how much water evaporates through the stomata
pinyon pine
a pine of the hot, dry Southwest that produces tasty, edible nuts
botanist
a scientist who studies plants
fern
a sideways-growing plant that has roots and leaves and produces spores instead of seeds
yeast
a single-celled fungus that converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide; used to make bread
tree
a tall plant with a single woody stem
cellulose
a tough, fibrous material manufactured by plant cells out of glucose and used to make cell walls
pitcher plant
after this plant attracts insects with its honeylike nectar, the insects slip into its pitcher-shaped leaf where they are digested
blue spruce
an attractive ornamental tree with frosty blue needles
parasite
an organism that attaches itself to another organism for nourishment
fruit
anything that forms from the ovary of a flower
insects that commonly aid in pollination
bees, flies, and wasps
deciduous trees
broadleaf trees that grow in temperate climates and lose their leaves in the fall
conifers
cone-bearing tree family
larches
deciduous conifers
saprophytes
fungi that feed on dead matter
Why is girdling harmful to a tree?
it prevents nourishment from reaching the roots, eventually causing the tree to die
fronds
leaves of a palm tree or a fern
annual growth ring
made of an inner band of light wood and an outer band of dark wood
types of fungi
molds, mildews, mushrooms, yeasts, and slime molds
lily family
most of the members of this family grow from bulbs; their petals grow in multiples of 3
Douglas fir
not a fir, but a pine
pea family
often called legumes, this is the second largest family of flowering plants
ponderosa pine
one of the largest pines of the American West; grows to a height of 250 feet
fungi
plants from this family do not contain chlorophyll
epiphytes
plants that never touch the ground
cedar
reddish, aromatic wood which repels moths
dendrologists
scientists who studies trees
The two systems of a plant
shoot system and root system
spores
single cells produced instead of seeds in some plants
paper birch
smooth, white paper-like bark that peels off
sugar maple
source of maple syrup
American elm
tall tree with a vase-like appearance
bracts
the colorful leaves some flowers produce that may be mistaken for petals
glucose
the food plants need to live; a type of sugar
sundew plant
the glistening bait of this plant is its sticky "dewdrops" that trap unwary insects
tropism
the growth of a plant in response to a condition in its environment, such as gravity, water, light, or touch
Venus's-flytrap
the hinged leaves of this plant close on its insect prey like the jaws of a steel trap
fruiting body
the large spore-forming structure of a mushroom
midrib
the large vein in the middle of the leaf
giant sequoia
the largest of all trees; found only on the western slopes of California's Sierra Nevada range
cambium layer
the layer of the tree's trunk where new growth of bark and wood takes place
root cap
the layer of tough protective cells that protects the delicate root tip as the root pushes its way through the hard ground
embryo
the living, miniature, undeveloped plant that is within the seed
pistil
the long tube in the middle of the flower that has the ovary at its base
main function of roots
the main function is to absorb water and minerals for the plat's use; anchor the plant in the soil
main function of stem
the main function is to carries liquids from roots to leaves and back
main function of flowers
the main function is to form seeds
main function of petals
the main function is to help attract bees or other creatures to a flower's seeds
main function of ovary
the main function is to hold one or more undeveloped seeds' developes into the fruit
main function of stamen
the main function is to make and hold pollen
main function of leaves
the main function is to make food for the plant
main function of bulbs
the main function is to stores food during the growing season so that the plant can continue to live after the leaves, stems, and flowers have died
main function of veins
the main function is to transport liquids; reinforce the structure of the thin, fragile leaf
grasses
the most important family of the food-producing plants
rhizoids
the name for a fern's roots that grow downward from the underside of the stem
General Sherman Tree
the name of the largest living sequoia
bud
the name of the structure at the tip of a stem that produces new growth
bristlecone pines
the oldest trees in the world
eastern white pine
the only eastern pine with needles in bundles of five; once used for construction of buildings and sailing ships
shoot system
the part of the plan that is visible above the ground
root system
the part of the plant that is below the ground
chlorophyll
the pigment or coloring that gives plants their green color
sugaring
the process of producing maple syrup and sugar
pollination
the process of transferring pollen from the stamen to the pistill
fertilization
the process that involves a sperm cell from a pollen grain uniting with an egg cell stored inside an ovule
California redwoods
the tallest living trees in the world
perennial
the term for a plant that lives for many years
annual
the term for a plant that lives for only one year
biennial
the term for a plant that lives for two years
evergreen
the term for a tree that keeps its leaves all year round
stem, vein, midrib
the three main structural parts of a leaf
root hairs
the tiny projections near the end of a root that help the root absorb water and minerals from the soil
Dutch elm disease
the tree disease that is caused by a fungus and is most often spread by beetles that live within the tree's bark.
moisture and warmth
the two things that are necessary for a seed to sprout
cuticle
the waxy covering that coats the skin of a leaf and prevents water from escaping
rose family
this colorful and fruitful plant family has petals in multiples of 5; the family that blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries belong
day lily
this plant has long, narrow leaves and trumpetlike flowers that last only a day
bladderwort
this underwater plant has hollow leaves filled with water that can quickly expand and suck in an insect or small crustacean
stomata
tiny holes or pores in a leaf through which air enters
chloroplasts
tiny packages of chlorophyll contained in the cells of the leaf
hyphae
tiny, white, hairlike structures of a mold
broadleaf trees
tree group that mainly has flower-bearing and seed-producing plants with broad, flat leaves
pollen cones and seed cones
two different kinds of cones a conifer can produce
moss
type of plant that does not have tubes for moving nutrients and water and does not have any true leaves, stems or roots. It grows from a slender thread of connected cells.
lichen
type of plant that is a combination of fungi and algae
examples of epiphytes
vanilla plant and Spanish moss
age
what an annual growth ring tells about a tree
