Describe the modification of stem to store food. Give examples.
short answer
Answers
Answer:
Rhizomes and corms are underground stems, modified for the storage of food. Also, these stems help in vegetative reproduction of these plants. The tips of the underground stem in potato plants become swollen due to the accumulation of food. The potato is a tuber that helps in the storage of food and bears eyes on it...
Answer:
Stem modifications, either aboveground, underground, or aerial, enable plants to survive in particular habitats and environments.
Explanation:
STEM MODIFICATION - DEFINITION
In some plants the stems are modified to perform the function of storage of food, support, protection and vegetative propagation.
For food storage: Rhizome (ginger), Tuber (potato), Bulb (onion), Corm (colocasia).
For support: Stem tendrils of watermelon, grapevine, cucumber.
For protection: Axillary buds of stem of citrus, Bougainvillea get modified into pointed thorns. They protect the plants from animals.
For vegetative propagation: Underground stems of grass, strawberry, lateral branches of mint and jasmine.
For assimilation of food: Flattened stem of Opuntia contains chlorophyll and performs photosynthesis.
MODIFICATION OF STEM - DEFINITION
The stem is the part of the plant that provides support and helps in conduction.
In some plants, the stem is modified for some other functions such as:
Underground stem modification- in such modification, stems remain under the soil and store the large amount of food e.g., potato, ginger etc.
Sub-aerial modification- in such modification, week stems lie horizontally on the ground and develop adventitious roots that help in vegetative propagation e.g., grass, pumpkin etc.
Aerial stem modification- in such modification, axillary buds are modified to thron and tendril for protection and support e.g., rose, pea etc.
Examples of food-storing stems include such specialized forms as tubers, rhizomes, and corms and the woody stems of trees and shrubs. Water storage is developed to a high degree in the stems of cacti, and all green stems are capable of photosynthesis