Question

DISCUSS IN BRIEF ABOUT THE MODIFICATION.OF ROOT STEM AND LEAVES ???

Answer 1

The modification of root, stems and leaves can involve in many plants, such as, bryophyte, which show the modification of leaves.

• Modifications of Roots:

There are many modifications for roots to help them survive the ever-changing environment of the nature, usually for adaptation, I will primarily discuss only two types of it;

1) Floating roots or the roots which float in a water body or on the surface of water, storing requirements of air and are blowed up or inflated. They are showing themselves out of the water or projecting outside the surface of water which also makes the plant lightweight and functioning as a floater or floats. It's function is to assist the plant to float on the water surface so that it is not drowned or killed by excess of water and also assist in the air exchanges or gaseous exchange, therefore, helping with respiration, hence, also known as respiratory roots. They are aquatic plants as they are found in water surfaces. Modified version of adventitious roots projecting from several internodes and nodes. Best examples to serve this are, Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera or the sacred lotus of India, Nymphaea caerulea, Nelumbo lutea, etc. are included into the genus and species of lotus), Duckweed, water lily, Jussiaea or Ludwigia, etc.

2) The climbers or clinging roots or climbing roots are not available for absorption but they give assistance to cling or get a hold on to the cracked areas or simply embed their clingers into deep fissures for support, they too are, adventitious roots. Some of them are formed from the nodes of the plant, such as, Betel or Paan leaf in India, Tecoma stans or the yellow elders which are trumpet shaped flowers. Some of them are formed through the internodes, such as, Ficus pumila popularly known (as they are climbers) climbing figs. Seem are formed from both, the nodes and internodes, such as, Poison Ivy (or Ivy in general), Boston Ivy (Parthenosissus tricuspidata), English Ivy (Hedera helix), Irish Ivy (Hedera hibernica), etc.

• Modifications of Stem:

Modified stems will again include the climbers as they are weakly formed stems with no energy and often need support; I will discuss two of them (excluding climbers):

1) Twiners are included into the category of weak stems also known as a bine which can coil around a upright support like a rope rounded onto a stronger support. The stems are regarded as very long, stretchable and flexible to an extent it doesn't break and sensitive to the environment and the direction of coils it actually takes to manage a support. Some of the examples are, Hiran Khuri (Convolvulus arvensis) or the species of bindweed, Phaseolus vulgaris or common bean, etc.

2) Cladophylls or Cladodes in which a plant shows the stems (green in color) are restricted to grow and are usually a link towards the ancestors and are genetic in nature. The scaly leaves are produced when the true or actual leaves are suppressed by genetic factors and are usually on or found in axillary part of it. Some of the examples are, Genus of Ruscus (Ruscus hypoglossum and Ruscus hyrcanus), Genus of Asparagus (Ornithogalum pyrenaicum and Asparagus vulgaris), etc.

• Modifications of Leaves:

Modified leaves are emerging from a specific part or are usually outgrowths which help in adaptations (like every modification does). We are going to discuss about two of the modifications found in leaves.

1) Phyllodes or Phyllodia they show the prominence of flattened rachis or a petiole in a part of leaf to form a structure attributed to sickle shaped which is performing the crucial role of photosynthesis and synthesis of food. There is a absence of pinnae or pinnate and bipinnate which are found in genuses of Acacia. Some of the examples are noteworthy, Acacia longifolia, Acacia recurva, Acacia auriculiformis, Acacia glaucescens, Parkinsonia aculeata, Acacia plicatum, etc.

2) Bladderwort or Leaf Bladders are those modifications which are only adapted to get the abundance of nitrogen or to extract nitrogen into the body, as, they are often found in swamps or mangroves where the nitrogen is deficit or completely absent, as, they are found below the water surfaces and entrap animals or small animals or preys to obtain nitrogen for survival. Prominently occurring in Bladderwort (Belongs to the genus of Utricularia, such as, Utricularia vulgaris, Utricularia hamiltonii). The leaves here are modified to form bladder-like traps, since they feed on preys and live in water bodies they are carnivorous and aquatic plants. Bladders are of 1 to 5 millimeters and consists of secretory cells or outer cells releasing mucilage and sugary substances to attract the preys and get dissolved into the digestive secretions or acid components, killing the prey.