Plant roots interesting facts. Interesting things about roots The variety of cultivated plants today

No one can imagine their existence without flora and fauna, but not everyone knows what plants actually feel. Facts about the most unusual plants in the world will help you understand many real things. Plants were created not only to decorate our society, but also to protect the people themselves. Facts from the life of plants will affect flowers, shrubs, and herbs.

1.The most cold-resistant plants are shoots of poplar and birch. They can be cooled down to -196 degrees.

2. The cannon tree is considered the noisiest tree and it grows only in Guinea.

3. There are approximately 10 thousand poisonous plants in our world.

4. There is a unique type of mushroom on Earth. It tastes similar to chicken.

5. Only Ceratonia produces approximately identical seeds weighing 0.2 grams.

6.The fastest growing plant is the baobab. During the day it can increase by 0.75 - 0.9 meters in height.

7. For those who are interested in plant life, it is worth saying that algae is considered the most ancient plant.

8. The New Zealand nettle tree is called the most dangerous stinging plant, because it can even kill a horse.

9.In Brazil there is a tree whose sap is used as diesel fuel.

10.The oldest tree is pine from the United States of America.

11.The tree of life grows in Bahrain.

12. Approximately 375 thousand species of plants exist today in the world.

13.The largest orchid in the plant world is the Tiger Orchid.

14. There are also white dandelions, and not just yellow ones, as we are used to seeing them.

15.The oak tree in Germany has its own postal address.

16. Of the 300 thousand varieties of plants, only 90 thousand are edible.

17.About 90% of plant foods come from plants.

18. Much earlier than people, wild roses appeared on Earth. The oldest of them appeared 50 million years ago.

19.The most expensive flower in terms of price is the Golden Orchid.

20.The largest water lily is in the Amazon.

21. One of the most interesting facts about the leaves is that in India there is a plant called “fool the stomach”. Eating just a couple of leaves of this plant will keep you full for a whole week.

22.A hectare of pine forest can release about 5 kilograms of phytoncides into the atmosphere, which destroy microbes with incredible success.

23.Duckweed is the smallest plant in the world.

24.Plants and animals are amazing and this is proven by the fact that even echinacea produces honey.

25. Once upon a time, rice grains were used as a lie detector.

26. Peanuts are not a nut. These are legumes.

27. The smell of the most disgusting plant in the world is like rotten fish. This smell is produced by the amorphophallus plant.

28.In China, a bamboo called bamboo grows. This plant grows by 40 centimeters per day.

29.During the day, sunflowers are unable to turn towards the sun.

30.Plants are given the ability to be albinos.

31. Land plants produce only half the oxygen.

32. Many plants are capable of producing chemicals that are harmful and poisonous to the life of herbivores.

33. In 1954, it was possible to find Arctic lupine seeds that had been frozen for about 10,000 years.

34. Human life depends on 1,500 varieties of cultivated plants.

35.Ficus from South Africa has the longest roots, 120 meters long.

36. Avocado is considered the most nutritious fruit in the plant world.

37. The first plant that was able to bloom and produce seeds in the absence of gravity in space was Arabidopsis.

38.Rubber is also obtained from the plant. Its name is Hevea.

39.The arrangement of leaves on a plant has a strict order.

40.The stinkiest plant on the Black Sea coast is spotted arum.

41. There are plants in the world whose seeds unwind and curl.

42. There is a plant whose berries are 2000 times sweeter than sugar.

43.Mexico was named after the agave plant.

44. There are edible cacti in the world that have pleasant-tasting and tender flesh.

45.One cactus bears approximately 50 fruits.

46. ​​In ancient times, parsley was a symbol of sadness.

47.Approximately 120 euros worth of nightshade seeds. This plant is so expensive only because it can kill instantly.

48. There are approximately 50 species of nasturtium in the world.

49.If a mimosa is irritated, it immediately begins to curl its leaves.

50. Holland is not considered the birthplace of tulips. These flowers were first seen in the deserts of the Tien Shan and in the Central Asian steppe zones.

51.Most of the atmosphere on Earth is produced by algae.

52.In Brazil there is a tree called the “milk nipple”.

53.The greenhouse effect is reduced by approximately 20% thanks to trees.

54.Approximately 10% of nutrients are absorbed by trees from the soil, and the rest from the atmosphere.

55. From an average tree it will be possible to create approximately 170 thousand pencils.

56. Stevia is a plant that can replace candy. This plant has a sweeter taste than candy.

57.In Antarctica there is a lichen that is 10,000 years old.

58.The inflorescence of the oldest plant Puya Raymonda consists of 8000 flowers.

59.Most tall plant world space is considered the sequoia tree.

60. All plants have a specific taste and aroma.

One of the most important parts of the plant is the root. It is this that ensures the normal functioning of trees, grasses, shrubs and even aquatic flora. Often the above-ground part of the plant is just the tip of the iceberg. Much of it may be underground. It is no coincidence that the roots are so large, because they have very important functions. Let's take a closer look at the amazing features of the plant world.

Functions of roots

The roots of each plant perform a range of tasks that may vary from species to species, but in most cases these tasks are the same for both trees and their smaller relatives. The roots of trees and other above-ground plants help them stay upright and resist wind and animals. This is especially true for large trees due to their mass and height. The root system helps them attach to the bottom and also prevents some of them from flipping over.

Another function of roots is nutritional. They absorb water from and from the soil and deliver it to the right places. They also synthesize some amino acids, alkaloids and other elements that plants need. Some of the flora representatives generally store useful material directly in the roots (mostly starch and other carbohydrates). Also, do not forget about such a thing as mycorrhiza - a symbiosis of a plant with fungi. The root plays a key role in it. such that some plants reproduce with its help - by root suckers.

Types of roots

Depending on the structure and function assigned to them, there are different types roots The first one is the main one. It grows directly from the seed when it germinates, to then become the main axis of the entire root system. In addition to the main root, there are also subordinate roots. They form from a variety of places - on stems, sometimes on leaves, and in some cases even on flowers. Another type is lateral roots. They emerge from the main or adventitious roots and branch laterally, forming more and more shoots.

Root systems

All the roots that the plant has form the root system. Depending on the role of various roots in the life of their owner, two types of systems are distinguished - taproot and fibrous. The first is distinguished by its focus on the main root, which grows most intensively. In this type, the main core develops much more efficiently than the side ones. However, this difference can be seen mainly in initial stage growth. Over time, the lateral roots begin to inexorably catch up with their main brother, and in old plants they are even larger than the main one. The rod system is typical mainly for

The second type is distinguished by features of the root opposite to the tap root. Such a system is called fibrous. It is characteristic of and distinguished by its numerous adventitious and lateral processes that fill the space under the plant. In this case, the main root is usually poorly developed or practically undeveloped.

Root. Root structure

Each root is divided into several zones, each of which is responsible for its own unique functions. One of the most important places is the division zone. It is located at the tip of each root and is responsible for its growth in length. Here, myriads of small cells constantly multiply. This process allows this part of the root to perform its difficult task. But the division zone is useless without the root cap, which is located at the end of each root. It consists of layers of fused cells that protect dividing cells from mechanical damage. In addition, the root cap secretes a kind of mucus that promotes the advancement of roots in the soil.

The next segment of the root is the elongation zone. It is located immediately behind the division area and is distinguished by the fact that its cells are constantly growing, although the process of division is almost completely absent in them. Then there is the suction zone - the place where water and minerals are drawn from the soil. This happens thanks to the myriads of tiny hairs covering this area. They significantly increase the total absorption area. At the same time, each hair works like a pump, sucking everything necessary from the soil. Next comes the conduction zone, which is responsible for transporting water with minerals to the top. Also from here the elements responsible for the vital activity of the root system descend. This part is very strong and it is from it that the lateral roots grow.

Cross section

If you cut the root, you can see the layers that make it up. First comes the skin, which is only one cell wide. Under it you can see the base of the root - the parenchyma. It is through its loose tissue that water and minerals enter the axial cylinder. It is formed by the pericambium - the educational structure that usually surrounds

Around the conducting cylinder there are tightly closed endodermal cells. They are waterproof, which forces life-giving moisture with minerals to move upward. But how then does the liquid get inside? This occurs thanks to special passage cells located on the endoderm. In most cases, the roots of grass, trees, and shrubs have this structure, although sometimes there are differences.

Mycorrhiza

Often, the roots of trees are the site of their symbiosis with other life forms. Fungi become the most common partners of plants.

This phenomenon is called mycorrhiza, which stands for “fungus root.” It's hard to believe, but most trees depend on a fruitful union with mycelium. Our usual birches, maples and oaks benefit greatly from this symbiosis.

When the mycelium interacts with the roots, an exchange occurs in which the mycelium gives essential minerals to the tree, receiving carbohydrates in return. This evolutionary move has allowed many plant species to live in conditions unsuitable for their species. Moreover, some representatives of the flora would not exist at all if it were not for mycorrhiza. In addition to symbiosis with fungi, there is a beneficial cooperation with bacteria, which the root resorts to. The structure of the root in this case will differ from what we are used to. On it you can find nodules in which special bacteria live, supplying the tree with atmospheric nitrogen.

Conclusion

One of the most important parts of any plant is the root. The structure of the root is ideally suited for the tasks it performs. The root system is an amazing mechanism that nourishes plants. It is not for nothing that various mystical movements believe that the tree combines the powers of heaven and earth. Its above-ground part absorbs sunlight, and the roots receive nutrition from the soil.

The significance of the root system is not obvious, since the main attention is drawn to the above-ground part of the plant: foliage, trunk, flower, stem. At the same time, the root remains in the shadows, modestly fulfilling its honorable mission.

There is hardly any need to explain the importance of plants both in nature and for human activity. However, a huge number of people know very little about the world of flora and even only superficially. If the above-ground parts of plants are more or less known at least somehow, then the underground parts (roots) are the lot of botanists, gardeners, market gardeners and agronomists. Meanwhile, there are many interesting moments connected with them...

The roots of plants are in an environment that can only conditionally be called favorable. This means that in order to survive, develop and benefit the entire plant, they must have impressive adaptive capabilities. And they actually have them!

The root system of some plants has a completely outlandish, bizarre appearance and is capable of performing non-standard functions. But enough foreplay. What do we know about roots?

If a tree in tropical latitudes develops on swampy or silty soil, it may develop pneumatophores. Then the roots externally resemble growths pitted with pores in the form of rods or wattle fence. Pneumatophores rise into the air based on underground roots. Spongy tissue, thanks to its many holes, allows oxygen to be supplied to the root system. A striking example of such a plant is swamp cypress.

But this does not mean that only plants in exotic countries have interesting, unusual roots. The most common winter rye, which can be found in every region of our country, is distinguished by an unusually long root system. The total length of many roots (each of which is small in itself) reaches hundreds of kilometers. For the record-breaking winter rye plant, it exceeded six hundred and twenty kilometers.

If among all plants in general, rye holds first place in terms of the length of the root system, then among trees the champion title went to Scots pine, whose figure is fifty kilometers.

Along with very long roots, there are also very deep ones. The root of a fig goes one hundred and twenty meters underground, and to dig out an oak tree thoroughly, you sometimes have to dig a hole up to a hundred meters deep.

The banyan tree also has outstanding roots. And what kind of ones - not just aerial ones, but even entire auxiliary trunks! As soon as such a root touches the ground, it attaches itself to it, immediately turns into a lignified trunk and fixes the position of the branch.

Aerophytes, including Tillandsia, obtain beneficial substances directly from the environment. They only need roots to hold them in place. But the meaning of the fibrous roots of the Metrosideros tree, growing in New Zealand, hanging from the branches is still not really clear. For the most part, they do not reach the ground, and therefore are neither a fastening nor a feeding channel.

Breathing roots - pneumatophores- develop in tropical trees growing in swampy or muddy places. They are porous rod- or whip-like outgrowths that rise into the air from the underground root system. Numerous holes in their spongy tissues allow air to freely reach underground roots.

Breathing roots - pneumatophores

Growing in New Zealand giant metrosideros, or "Christmas tree", so named because it blooms at Christmas time (spring in the Southern Hemisphere at this time).

When metrosideros grow on the ocean shore, their roots are often immersed in the churning waters of the surf. Such a tree throws out a lot of fibrous roots hanging from the branches and never reaching the ground, surrounding the trunk, like a skirt of grass. Scientists have suggested that aerial roots serve the tree for breathing and extracting moisture from the atmosphere.

The most striking example of plants with stilt roots are the various species of mangrove trees that grow in the tropics on ocean coasts and marshy shores of sheltered bays in quiet salt water. It turns out that their roots are excellent filters. Thanks to them, the salt “remains overboard”, and almost fresh water is supplied to the trunk, branches and mud.

In mangroves you can find aquatic ferns of the genus acrostichumus. Absorbing sea ​​water, he desalinates it in a different way. Excess salts are released on the surface of the leaves. When the entire leaf is covered with a whitish salt crust, it dies, freeing the acrostichum from excess unnecessary load.

Mangroves form a dense, impenetrable thicket. As if escaping from excessive crowding on land, these trees, on peculiar stilt roots, rush to the very shore, and some even “enter” the coastal ocean waters. At high tide, mangrove forests are immersed to their very crowns in the salty waters of the ocean. But the tide comes, and the water, rolling back, reveals dense underwater thickets of trees standing on bare stilt roots. The most common tree in mangroves rhizophora, which has blood-red wood due to its high tannin content.

The fruit of the rhizophora resembles a pear, only attached to the branch on the other side. The rhizophora has a unique method of reproduction - it is a viviparous tree. Its ripe fruit does not fall to the ground, but remains hanging on the branch until its only seed germinates and produces the root of a new plant. Root growth lasts almost six months; during this time it grows by 60-70 centimeters.

The separation of the young plant from the mother coincides with the ebb of the sea. Rushing down, the young plant penetrates deeply into the soil freed from water and begins an independent life. Within a few hours, the plants are firmly anchored by their roots in the soil, and they are no longer afraid of the tide. If the plants have not had time to gain a foothold, they will have to swim for several months on the ocean waves, but young rhizophores are ready for such tests. They often travel vast distances and settle far from their homeland, quickly taking root in favorable conditions.

Mangrove forests in a short time they form dense thickets that protect the shore from destruction by sea waves.

Rhizophora occupies the first line of mangrove forests, most deeply encroaching into ocean waters; the second is formed mainly by Avicennia, and further on in the swampy coastal strip Lagunaria, Banisteria and others grow.

I wonder what stilted roots develop not only in mangrove trees. Many different trees growing in fresh swamps have the same roots. An example is wild nutmeg, found in the swamp forests of Malaya.

Pandanus they throw out adventitious roots growing downwards, probably to create additional support. As the tree grows, it gains more and more supports, especially if it is bent for some reason. Each of the supports, in turn, produces additional roots, and therefore it seems that the tree is walking somewhere.

Stilt roots Another species is the Brazilian palm Pashiuba (Iriartea exorrhiza). When looking at this tree, you get the impression that its trunk has never come into contact with the ground, since it “hangs” in the air at a height of 2-3 meters, resting on small, tent-shaped roots.

The cork, or umbrella, tree, growing in the tropics of West Africa, has the same roots.

An uninitiated person can imagine that the roots of all trees begin somewhere under the trunk and go down, deep into the ground. But both are true when it comes to unusual trees: there are roots that grow straight up, and there are those that grow around the branches and trunk of the tree rather than going deep into the ground. In short, roots can originate anywhere and grow in almost any direction. Bas-reliefs in Indian temples show that the Hindu religion was at one time characterized by cult drawings and sculptures of Ficus religiosa and F. benghalensis trees upside down!

Many plants have aerial roots. Epiphytic orchids have trailing roots on all branches, and in addition, more or less straight roots that grow into humus from fallen leaves, which accumulates among the leaves of the orchid. The same thing happens with epiphytic ferns. Following these plants, trees also go astray. Many palm trees have short feeding roots that grow from the soil upward, into the humus surrounding the plant, and even into the air. J. Willis reports that the roots of raffia palms (Raphia ruffia) develop between the dry petioles of fallen leaves. “They curve upward and are said to function as respiratory organs.” (For other respiratory roots, see the corresponding section of this chapter.)

Regular roots grow downward under the influence of gravity and the action of growth hormones auxins. The stems, on the contrary, grow upward - also under the influence of gravity and, apparently, due to the action of the same hormones. The root and the stem behave in diametrically opposite ways, reacting to the same stimulus, just as two unequal weights suspended from a rope passed through a pulley move in opposite directions under the influence of the same force - gravity.

However, any generalization forces us to immediately point out exceptions. In some palms (the so-called stemless Brazilian palms), the stem grows downward and thus acts as a root. As the stem deepens into the ground, the bud bends upward, but the stem of the palm tree itself turns out to be upside down. But the breathing roots of black mangroves (Avicennia nitida) grow through the mud into the air and behave like stems.

It is believed that the roots are an organ of the tree that we never see, that they stretch into different sides in search of nutrients and at the same time ensure the stability of the tree. Yes, of course, they collect water containing nutrient minerals for the entire upper superstructure and help pump this solution to the leaves against gravity, but they are completely relieved of many other household duties. Roots generally do not bear any responsibility for procreation and are not very often attacked by people, animals, or electrical companies.

No one can comprehensively explain what a root is. And in a book like this, one can only report the facts, for tree roots are capable of deviating from the norm in at least eight directions, each of which is devoted to a section in this chapter.....