-Plants have green leaves and make their own food.

-Plant parts may look different in different plants.

-Most plants can produce flowers. They belong to the group called flowering plants.

-Others cannot produce flower and are called non-flowering plants.

-There are similarities and differences within groups of plants.

Plants can grow in many places. We can easily find them in gardens, fields, forests, ponds, rivers and seas. Plants usually grow on land but some plants grow in water. Some plants can grow in unusual places like in drains, on walls and roofs, or even on another plant. Plants need air, water, light and minerals to grow. As long as these are supplied to a plant, it can grow anywhere.

Plant Parts are Different From Plant to Plant

A plant has the parts in the picture shown in the left. The flowers develop into fruits. The fruits bear seeds.

The size and shape of flowers are different from plant to plant.

1. Some fruits such as the mango, lychee and avacado have one seed. Others such as oranges have several seeds. Fruits like the kiwi and papaya fruits have many seeds.

2. Several arrangement of seeds can be seen in different fruits. Seeds can be arranged in rows or found everywhere inside the fruits. The seeds of the flame of the forest are arranged in a row. The seeds of the flame of the forest fruit are arranged in a row. Papaya seeds are found everywhere inside the fruit. A rubber fruit has three parts and a seed is found in each part.

3. Seeds of fruits like mangoes and durians are very big when compared with papaya seeds or orange seeds. Different seeds have different shapes too. Most seeds are oval, round or flattish in shape. The durian, mango and rambutan all have oval-shaped seeds. The papaya and guava have round seeds while the watermelon and starfruit have flattish seeds.

Roots are usually found under the ground. However, some roots can be seen above the ground. Some plants such as the Banyan trees have roots hanging from the branches. Roots of the mangrove trees stick out from the soil. Roots also differ in size and structure. For example, the balsam plant has a single main root from which branch roots grow. The maize plant has a cluster of roots growing from the base of the stem. The roots are all of about the same size.

A leaf has three main parts: leaf blade, leaf vein and leaf stalk. 

1. Size, shape and colour

  (a) Leaves vary in size. 

  (b) They may be round-shaped, oval-shaped, heart-shaped, palm-shaped or lance-shaped.

  (c) Not all leaves are green in colour. There are some in other colours as yellow or red. 

2. Texture and edges of leaves

  (a) The texture of leaf surfaces can be smooth, waxy or hairy.

  (b) For example, the African violet leaf has a hairy surface. The lime leaf has a waxy surface.

  (c) Leaf edges can be entire, jagged (same meaning as toothed) or lobed.

  (d) For example, the lemon leaf has an entire edge, the Water-lily has a jagged-edge and the papaya leaf has a lobed edge.

3. Different vein patterns

  (a) The veins of a leaf form patterns on the leaf surface. 

  (b) There are two kinds of vein patterns: net vein pattern and parallel vein pattern.

  (c) In the net pattern, the veins are spread out from a main vein in all directions.

  (d) In the parallel vein pattern, the veins run in straight lines parallel to one another.

4. Simple and compound leaves

  (a) When only one leaf grows from a leaf stalk, it is called a simple leaf.

  (b) When two or more leaves grow from a leaf stalk, the leaf is called a compound leaf.

  (c) Each small leaf of a compound leaf is called a leaflet. The leaf blade in a compound leaf can be divided into two or more small leaflets.

The stem supports the branches and the leaves. A tree has a tall, thick and woody stem called the trunk. The trunk and branches of trees are protected by an outer covering called the bark. Shrubs are shorter plants that also have woody stems. Examples of shrubs are the bougainvillaea, hibiscus and rose plants. Some plants have non-woody stems. Their stems are usually greenish and fleshy, and are weaker than woody stems. Some non-woody stems such as those of the balsam and the lady's fingers can stand upright. Others are so weak that they cannot stand upright. Plants with such stems either creep along the ground or cling onto a support. The stems of some plants such as the cactus plants are covered with hair, prickles or spines. Some plants have stems that store food and water for the plant. Examples are ginger, potato and water chestnut. 

There are many similarities and differences among plants. We can study plants better if we group the plants with similar characteristics together. Plants are often classified according to whether they bear flowers, poisonous or non-poisonous and land or water plants.

A flowering plant can produce flowers when it is fully grown. Some examples of flowering plants are rose, hibiscus, flame of the forest, daisy and carnation. Some plants such as the money plant, some kinds of cacti and the bamboo are flowering plants too. However, they seldom or do not bear flowers under our local conditions. Some plants only produce flowers at certain times of the year. A non-flowering plant cannot produce flowers at all during its lifetime. Some examples of non-flowering plants are ferns, mosses, liverworts, conifers and algae. Conifers such as the fir produces cones. Algae are plants with no true stem, roots and leaves and are found in water. Algae have chlorophyll and can make their own food. Seaweeds are large types of algae found in the sea. 

  

                                    

-Plants have green leaves and make their own food.

-Plant parts may look different in different plants.

-Most plants can produce flowers. They belong to the group called flowering plants.

-Others cannot produce flower and are called non-flowering plants.

-There are similarities and differences within groups of plants.

Plants can grow in many places. We can easily find them in gardens, fields, forests, ponds, rivers and seas. Plants usually grow on land but some plants grow in water. Some plants can grow in unusual places like in drains, on walls and roofs, or even on another plant. Plants need air, water, light and minerals to grow. As long as these are supplied to a plant, it can grow anywhere.

Plant Parts are Different From Plant to Plant

A plant has the parts in the picture shown in the left. The flowers develop into fruits. The fruits bear seeds.

The size and shape of flowers are different from plant to plant.

1. Some fruits such as the mango, lychee and avacado have one seed. Others such as oranges have several seeds. Fruits like the kiwi and papaya fruits have many seeds.

2. Several arrangement of seeds can be seen in different fruits. Seeds can be arranged in rows or found everywhere inside the fruits. The seeds of the flame of the forest are arranged in a row. The seeds of the flame of the forest fruit are arranged in a row. Papaya seeds are found everywhere inside the fruit. A rubber fruit has three parts and a seed is found in each part.

3. Seeds of fruits like mangoes and durians are very big when compared with papaya seeds or orange seeds. Different seeds have different shapes too. Most seeds are oval, round or flattish in shape. The durian, mango and rambutan all have oval-shaped seeds. The papaya and guava have round seeds while the watermelon and starfruit have flattish seeds.

Roots are usually found under the ground. However, some roots can be seen above the ground. Some plants such as the Banyan trees have roots hanging from the branches. Roots of the mangrove trees stick out from the soil. Roots also differ in size and structure. For example, the balsam plant has a single main root from which branch roots grow. The maize plant has a cluster of roots growing from the base of the stem. The roots are all of about the same size.

A leaf has three main parts: leaf blade, leaf vein and leaf stalk. 

1. Size, shape and colour

  (a) Leaves vary in size. 

  (b) They may be round-shaped, oval-shaped, heart-shaped, palm-shaped or lance-shaped.

  (c) Not all leaves are green in colour. There are some in other colours as yellow or red. 

2. Texture and edges of leaves

  (a) The texture of leaf surfaces can be smooth, waxy or hairy.

  (b) For example, the African violet leaf has a hairy surface. The lime leaf has a waxy surface.

  (c) Leaf edges can be entire, jagged (same meaning as toothed) or lobed.

  (d) For example, the lemon leaf has an entire edge, the Water-lily has a jagged-edge and the papaya leaf has a lobed edge.

3. Different vein patterns

  (a) The veins of a leaf form patterns on the leaf surface. 

  (b) There are two kinds of vein patterns: net vein pattern and parallel vein pattern.

  (c) In the net pattern, the veins are spread out from a main vein in all directions.

  (d) In the parallel vein pattern, the veins run in straight lines parallel to one another.

4. Simple and compound leaves

  (a) When only one leaf grows from a leaf stalk, it is called a simple leaf.

  (b) When two or more leaves grow from a leaf stalk, the leaf is called a compound leaf.

  (c) Each small leaf of a compound leaf is called a leaflet. The leaf blade in a compound leaf can be divided into two or more small leaflets.

The stem supports the branches and the leaves. A tree has a tall, thick and woody stem called the trunk. The trunk and branches of trees are protected by an outer covering called the bark. Shrubs are shorter plants that also have woody stems. Examples of shrubs are the bougainvillaea, hibiscus and rose plants. Some plants have non-woody stems. Their stems are usually greenish and fleshy, and are weaker than woody stems. Some non-woody stems such as those of the balsam and the lady's fingers can stand upright. Others are so weak that they cannot stand upright. Plants with such stems either creep along the ground or cling onto a support. The stems of some plants such as the cactus plants are covered with hair, prickles or spines. Some plants have stems that store food and water for the plant. Examples are ginger, potato and water chestnut. 

There are many similarities and differences among plants. We can study plants better if we group the plants with similar characteristics together. Plants are often classified according to whether they bear flowers, poisonous or non-poisonous and land or water plants.

A flowering plant can produce flowers when it is fully grown. Some examples of flowering plants are rose, hibiscus, flame of the forest, daisy and carnation. Some plants such as the money plant, some kinds of cacti and the bamboo are flowering plants too. However, they seldom or do not bear flowers under our local conditions. Some plants only produce flowers at certain times of the year. A non-flowering plant cannot produce flowers at all during its lifetime. Some examples of non-flowering plants are ferns, mosses, liverworts, conifers and algae. Conifers such as the fir produces cones. Algae are plants with no true stem, roots and leaves and are found in water. Algae have chlorophyll and can make their own food. Seaweeds are large types of algae found in the sea.