Getting to Know Plants

1. (a) Root absorbs water and minerals from the soil.
   (b) Stem holds the plant upright.
   (c) Stem conducts water to the leaves.
   (d) The number of petals and sepals in a flower may be different in different plants.
   (e) If the sepals of a flower are joined together, then its petals may or may not be joined together.
   (f) If the petals of a flower are joined together, then the stamen may or may not be joined to the petal.
2. (a)
   
   Leaf of a rose plant
   (b)
   
   Taproot of a rose plant
   (c)
   
   Flower of a rose plant
3. The money plant has a long and weak stem. It comes under the category of climbers. Climbers are plants that readily take support on neighbouring structures as they have a weak stem.
4. The main function of a stem in plants is that it helps in the conduction of water and minerals from the roots to the leaves and other parts of plants. It also provides support to branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, and buds of plants.
   
5. The leaves of tulsi, coriander, and China rose have reticulate venation, whereas maize, grass, and wheat have parallel venation.
   In leaves with reticulate venation, the veins are arranged in a net-like pattern. In parallel venation, the veins are arranged parallel to one another.
   
   Leaves with reticulate and parallel venation
   
6. Plants with fibrous roots have parallel venation in their leaves. For example, grass, wheat, maize, etc. have fibrous roots with parallel venation.
   
   Fibrous roots with parallel venation
   Fibrous roots have thin and moderately growing branches arising from the stem. Parallel venation, on the other hand, has leaves in which the veins are arranged parallel to each other.
   
7. Plants with reticulate venation in their leaves are likely to have tap roots. For example, a carrot or a rose plant has leaves with reticulate venation and its roots are called tap roots.
   
   Taproots and reticulate venation
   In tap roots, there is one main root known as the ‘tap root’that grows straight down from the stem. It also has smaller roots known as ‘lateral roots’. In leaves with reticulate venation, the veins are arranged in a net-like pattern.
   
8. Yes. We can recognize leaves without seeing them. You can look for the type of roots of the plant and identify the type of leaf. If the plant has fibrous roots, then its leaves have parallel venation, and if the plant has tap roots, then its leaves have reticulate venation.
9. A flower consists of sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils. A stamen has two parts called the anther and the filament. A pistil has three parts called the stigma, style, and ovary.
   
   A flower showing all its parts
   
10. The given examples are flowering plants. But, in some plants such as tulsi, pipal, sugarcane, etc. the flowers are not visible. They are so small that they cannot be seen with naked eyes.
11. The part of plants which prepares food is the leaf. Leaves of a plant prepare food in the presence of sunlight. The process of making food by utilizing water and carbon dioxide in the presence of sunlight is called photosynthesis.
12. Pistil is the part of the flower that contains the ovary.
    
    The structure of a pistil showing all its parts
13. 
    Flowers with joined sepals are Periwinkle (Sadabahar) and Hibiscus(China rose).
    Flowers with separated sepals are Rose and Magnolia.