1. Basic Botany & Plant Physiology
Cory Tanner
Consumer Horticulture Agent/Master Gardener Coordinator

2. Terminology Botany: the science of plants Anatomy: internal structure
Morphology: external structure/form
Taxonomy: the classification of plants
Physiology: study of plant growth and development

3. Vascular Plants Ferns Cone Bearing Flowering Plants Plants Dicots
Monocots

4. Terminology Gymnosperm – “naked seed” Angiosperm – “vessel seeded”
Has no flower or ovary (fruit); only cones
All conifers (pines, cedars, arborvitae)
Angiosperm – “vessel seeded”
Has a flower with an ovary (fruit)
All flowering plants
Divided into Monocots and Dicots

5. Terminology Dicotyledons (Dicots): Monocotyledons (Monocots):
flowering plants that contain two seed leaves
Monocotyledons (Monocots):
flowering plants that possess one seed leaf

6. Monocot
Dicot

7. Plant Classification
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species Cultivar

8. Botanical Names

9. What’s Wrong with Common Names?
Catesby’s Trillium or
Rosey Wake-robin
Bashful Wake-robin
Trillium catesbaei

10. Scientific Plant Names
Binomial Nomenclature – 2-name system
Genus species
Developed by Carolus Linnaeus (1753)
Always Latinized and italicized
Usually very descriptive of the plant

11. Scientific Plant Names (cont.)
Genus – a noun
identifies a particular group of related plants
First letter always capitalized
species – typically an adjective
identifies a distinct subset of the Genus
all lowercase
Latin names should always be italicized or underlined.

12. Scientific Plant Names (cont.)
When two names aren’t enough…
variety – has traits that separate it from the species, but not enough to be a new species
Designated by var.
Cercis canadensis var. alba
cultivar – “cultivated variety”
A variety that arose in garden/nursery culture.
Designated in single quotes with the first letter of each word capitalized. Not italicized.
Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’

13. Scientific Plant Names (cont.)
What about hybrids?
Hybrid – results from cross-pollination between two different species.
Designated by an “x” between Genus and species.
Osmanthus x fortunei – Fortune’s Tea Olive
Hybrid between O. heterophyllus and O. fragrans

14. Plant Parts Plant parts fall into two categories: a) vegetative
b) sexual reproductive

15. Meristems – regions of plant growth
Apical Meristems (aka Terminal Buds)
Found at shoot and root tips
Produce stems, roots, leaves, and lateral buds
Responsible for shoot/root length (Primary Growth)
Lateral Meristems (aka Vascular Cambium)
Located laterally along stems and roots
Responsible for increases in stem/root girth (Secondary Growth)

16. Vascular Tissues
Xylem – transports water and mineral nutrients from roots to stems and leaves.
Phloem – transports sugars (photosynthates) from leaves to other plant parts. Can move “sap” up or down.
Xylem and phloem arranged in vascular bundles.

17. Roots
Functions of Roots: 1. absorption (water and mineral) 2. structural support 3. storage
Types of Roots:
1. radicle – seed root
2. primary root – tap root
3. lateral root

18. Root Anatomy

19. Above Ground

21. *
Stem Parts

22. Stem Anatomy

23. Tree Trunk Components

24. Types of Buds

26. Vine Morphology

28. Leaf Parts
blade
petiole
midrib

29. Leaf Anatomy

30. Leaf Arrangement
Leaf Types

31. Leaf Venation
Venation refers to the pattern in which the veins are distributed in the leaf blade
Parallel or Net-veined
Net-veined can be either pinnate or palmate

33. Flower Anatomy Petals - highly colored parts of the flower
Sepals - small, green, leaf-like structures on the base of the flower
Petals - highly colored parts of the flower
Stamen - male reproductive parts
Pistil - female reproductive parts

35. Flower Anatomy
Perfect flower - has a stamen, pistil, petal and sepals.
Incomplete flower - missing one of the four parts
Complete flower - has a stamen and pistil
Imperfect flower - has either stamen (staminate) or a pistil (pistillate)

36. Flower Anatomy
Dioecious - have staminate (male) and pistillate (female) on separate plants i.e., hollies.
Monoecious - have male and female flowers on the same plant i.e., squash and cucumbers.

37. Inflorescences: flower arrangements

38. Pollination
Cross-pollination - pollen from one plant is transferred to the stigma of another.
Self-pollination - the stigma is pollinated by pollen from the same plant.
Fertilization - ovule (egg) is fertilized by the sperm from the pollen grain.

39. Fruit Seed An enlarged ovary. Simple Aggregate Multiple
A mature ovule, that contains the embryo and cotyledons (starch filled food source).

40. Growth Cycles
Annual: A plant that completes its lifecycle in one growing season. Winter annuals survive the winter, summer annuals survive the summer.
Biennial: A plant the requires two growing seasons to complete its lifecycle.
Herbaceous perennial: A non-woody plant that lives for several years. It’s shoots die back every winter.
Woody perennial: A tree or shrub

41. The study of plant growth and development
Plant Physiology
The study of plant growth and development

42. Primary Plant Processes
Photosynthesis Respiration Transpiration

43. from “Why Study Photosynthesis?” by. Devens Gust, Ph.D.
Photosynthesis is arguably the most important biological process on earth. By liberating oxygen and consuming carbon dioxide, it has transformed the world into the hospitable environment we know today. Directly or indirectly, photosynthesis fills all of our food requirements and many of our needs for fiber and building materials. The energy stored in petroleum, natural gas and coal all came from the sun via photosynthesis, as does the energy in firewood, which is a major fuel in many parts of the world.
from “Why Study Photosynthesis?” by. Devens Gust, Ph.D.
Arizona State University -

44. Photosynthetic Reaction
6CO2 + 6H2O
Chlorophyll
C6H12O
Carbon
Dioxide
Water
Sugar
Oxygen

46. Terminology
Chlorophyll – green pigment in plants that collects solar energy for photosynthesis Chloroplast – component of plant cells that contains chlorophyll and is responsible for photosynthesis. All green parts of plants have chloroplasts.

47. Light Absorption by Chlorophyll
Courtesy of Arizona State University

48. Respiration C6H1206 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O + Heat Carbon Sugar Oxygen
The process by which sugars and starches are converted to energy.
C6H O CO2 + 6H2O + Heat
ENERGY
Sugar
Oxygen
Carbon
Dioxide
Water

49. Photosynthesis Respiration Produces food Releases oxygen
Occurs in all cells containing chlorophyll
Uses water
Uses carbon dioxide
Occurs in light
Respiration
Uses food for plant energy
Releases energy
Occurs in all cells
Uses oxygen
Produces water
Produces carbon dioxide
Occurs in light as well as dark

50. Transpiration
The process by which plants lose water (evaporation) through stomata.
Responsible for water transport in plants
Responsible for nutrient transport.
Cools plant parts through evaporation.

52. Transpiration

53. Stomata

54. Stomata

55. Water Movement

56. Transpiration
The amount of water loss from a plant through transpiration depends on environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and air movement.

57. Guttation
Occurs mainly at night due to root pressure.

58. Nutrient Absorption How do nutrients get into a root?
Root Interception
Mass Flow
Diffusion

59. Root Interception
Roots intercept nutrients as they grow and expand in the soil.

60. Mass Flow
Moving of large volumes of water, with nutrients in solution, to the plant roots, into the plant and to the leaves.
Usually in the transpiration stream.

61. Diffusion
Movement of nutrients from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

62. Root Absorption Requires Oxygen and Energy
A decrease in P.S. results in a decrease in root absorption

63. Factors Inhibiting Nutrient Uptake
Soil Aeration
Nutrient Availability
Soil Temperature
Type of Plant
Soil Moisture
Effects of Other Nutrients
Soil pH
Solubility of Nutrient

64. Environmental Factors Affecting Plant Growth
Light
Temperature
Water

65. Light
Quantity – amount of light reaching the plant. Maximum during the summer and minimum during the winter.
Quality - refers to the color or wavelength that reaches the plant.
Duration - refers to the amount of time a plant is exposed to light.
Photoperiod – effect of day length on plant development.

66. Photoperiod
Short-day Plants - require a period of uninterrupted darkness to flower. Example: Poinsettia Long-day Plants – require long-days (short nights) to form flowers. Example: Black-eyed Susan Day-neutral – non-responsive to day length. Many plants.

67. Temperature Temperature is a factor in flower and fruit production.
- chilling hours in peach production
Excessive heat (> 90o F) can restrict photosynthesis
Plants can be classified as either hardy or non-hardy depending on their ability to withstand cold temperatures.

68. Roles of Water Required for photosynthesis Involved in plant growth
Transports mineral nutrients and photosynthates
Maintains cell turgor (prevents wilting)
Cools the plant

69. In Conclusion …
A basic understanding of botany and plant physiology is key to diagnosing and resolving many plant problems.
You should understand:
basic plant anatomy
scientific plant naming
the processes of photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration
how environmental conditions affect plants