Botany
23 questions tagged Botany — spanning every one of the seven Ws.
How Do Plants Know Which Way Is Up?
Plants sense gravity through specialised cells called statocytes, which contain dense starch granules (statoliths) that settle downward under gravity, triggering asymmetric distribution of the hormone auxin that directs roots downward and shoots upward.
Why Do Leaves Fall in Autumn?
Deciduous trees drop their leaves in autumn to conserve water and energy through winter; as daylight shortens, trees stop producing chlorophyll, reabsorb nutrients, and form a special layer of cells that severs each leaf from the branch.
Where Is the World's Largest Flower Found?
Rafflesia arnoldii, the world's largest individual flower, is found in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo.
Which fruit has its seeds on the outside?
The strawberry is famous for wearing its 'seeds' on the outside — and each of those tiny specks is actually a separate fruit.
Where is the world’s oldest known surviving public botanical garden?
One of the oldest surviving botanical gardens is the Orto Botanico di Padova in Padua, Italy. It was founded in 1545 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How do desert plants survive by storing water in their tissues?
Succulents store water in thick stems or leaves and use special tissues to hold it through long dry periods.
What are ectomycorrhizae?
Ectomycorrhizae are fungi that form a sheath around plant roots without entering the root cells. They are especially common on many trees.
What is a parasitic plant?
A parasitic plant gets some or all of its nutrients from another plant. Some parasitic plants still photosynthesize, while others do not.
What is a carnivorous plant?
A carnivorous plant traps and digests small animals, usually insects, to obtain nutrients. Most still photosynthesize like ordinary plants.
What is a pitcher plant?
A pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant with a cup-shaped leaf that traps insects and other small prey. The prey is digested in the fluid inside the pitcher.
What is a seed dispersal mechanism?
A seed dispersal mechanism is the way a plant spreads its seeds away from the parent plant. Common methods include wind, water, animals, and explosive release.
What is a seed dormancy?
Seed dormancy is a resting state that prevents a seed from germinating immediately. It helps seeds survive until conditions are favorable.
What is a tree ring?
A tree ring is a yearly layer of wood formed as a tree grows. Counting rings can reveal a tree's age and past growing conditions.
What is cambium in a tree?
Cambium is a thin layer of actively dividing cells in a tree. It produces new wood and new bark, letting the trunk and branches grow wider.
What is xylem?
Xylem is the plant tissue that carries water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant. It also helps support the plant structurally.
What is phloem?
Phloem is the plant tissue that transports sugars and other organic nutrients. It moves food made in leaves to the rest of the plant.
What is bark?
Bark is the outer protective covering of a tree or woody plant stem. It helps shield the plant from damage, water loss, and disease.
What is a hardwood tree?
A hardwood tree is usually a broadleaf tree that is an angiosperm, not necessarily a tree with truly hard wood. The term refers to a botanical group, not just wood density.
What is a softwood tree?
A softwood tree is usually a conifer, such as pine, fir, or spruce. The term refers to botanical origin, not always to softness.
What is a gymnosperm?
A gymnosperm is a seed plant with naked seeds, meaning the seeds are not enclosed in a fruit. Conifers are the best-known gymnosperms.
What is an angiosperm?
An angiosperm is a flowering plant that produces seeds enclosed in a fruit. It is the largest group of land plants.
What is pollination?
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from a plant's male part to its female part. It enables fertilization and seed production in many plants.
What is an epiphyte?
An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant for support without taking its nutrients from the host. Many epiphytes live on tree branches in wet forests.