In Search of Light To manufacture their food plants need to carry out a process called photosynthesis and for this they need light. The need for light gives them the ability to sense the direction from which light is coming and grow towards it. If a potted plant is moved into the interiors and placed close to a window, one would see that the plant’s leaves gradually begin to face the...

Growth of Plants Like other living things plants also grow and develop, they too are able to adapt themselves to their environment. Earth has its effect on plants and they are able to sense it. This explains how they are able to maintain an upward and downward growth. When a seed is provided the right environment, it begins to germinate. It is not important which way the seed is lying or...

Curiosities of the Plant World Life on earth in all forms has its curiosities and likewise the kingdom of plants has its own. We have trees which are as tall as a multi storeyed building and in contrast plant life which can be seen only be seen through a microscope. Though all plants require sunlight, we even have the various types of fungi which just grow overnight and can survive without...

Fungi Fungi also belong to the family of plants except that they do not have the green pigment called Chlorophyll nor do their cell walls have cellulose. They have thin thread like fungal fibres called Mycelium which are hidden under the surface where they are growing. Fungi do not reproduce with the help of seeds, they use spores. Since fungi cannot rely upon sunlight, because of the lack of chlorophyll, to...

Creepers and Vines We often find plants growing along walls, fences or around tree trunks, these are called creepers and vines. These plants climb and grow by using hooks, tendrils or suckers to hold on to a surface and grow upwards or by coiling around other plants and trees. Climbing plants save the energy. spent by other plants in growing stems, for growing faster by using the stems of other plants...

Marsh Plants Salt water is generally harmful for plants since it kills them, yet we have plants which survive in the salty water of the marshes. Marshes are formed out of the deposits along the river banks, as such this soil has a high salt content. Salt in the soil draws water out of the plants thus causing them to die for lack of nutrients. Marsh plants are able to counter...

Alpine Plants Plants of this type arc found in the high mountains where they have to survive in extremely cold temperatures, freezing winds and soils which are largely rocky and devoid of water. The survival instincts in plants help them through this situation by giving them different shapes and sizes which help them in thriving. The ability to generate their own warmth is most important for plants at these altitudes. As...

Desert Plants Plants need water to survive but there are places where water is scanty, like in the deserts, yet plants are able to survive there since they use various means to do so. Most desert plants store water in their sterns and since most of them don’t have leaves, they do not lose water because of transpiration. However some species of desert plants do have leaves but since these leaves...