Plants and People Vegetables

Non-reproductive Parts

Monocot versus Dicot

When Mom Told You to Eat your Vegetables….she lied! These are NOT vegetables…

So…What is a Vegetable? Generally speaking, a vegetable is any plant part NOT involved in sexual reproduction. Usually a “vegetable” is a plant’s roots, shoots, or stems….and will never be a fruit (contains seeds) or a flower (contains a plant’s reproductive organs).

Roots, Shoots, Stems, and Leaves

Roots Carrots and parsnips are underground roots that become swollen as they accumulate stored photosynthate, and are called tap roots. carrotsparsnips

Roots The sweet potato is a swollen root, distinguished from the potato by the lack of "eyes" or lateral buds. sweet potato

Monocot versus Dicot - Roots DICOT MONCOT

Stems Onions and garlic are referred to as bulbs, modified stems in which the primary storage tissue is expanded leaf bases oniongarlic

Stems Ginger is a branched, underground compressed stem referred to botanically as a rhizome. ginger

Stems A potato is an unexpanded, underground stem that is called a tuber. The dimples on the surface of the potato, the "eyes," are actually lateral buds. potato

Stems A vertical, unexpanded, underground stem is called a corm. A corm is solid inside (unlike a bulb) and doesn’t usually have nodes all over like a tuber. There is often a papery covering composed of leaf bases. Examples: water chestnut, taro. potato

Types of Leaves

Monocot versus Dicot - Leaves DICOTMONCOT

Leaves When we eat lettuce, we eat the leaves. There is considerable variation among the types of lettuce. Some types form a tight head, while others are harvested as "leaf" types. Color varies from green-yellow, to red to purplish.

Leaves The cabbage head is an unexpanded stem surrounded by overlapping, fully expanded leaves. The leaves are usually shredded or cut away from the stem, and the stem itself is rarely eaten. cabbage

Leaves The edible portion of celery is the petiole, the small stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The whole, unexpanded celery shoot may be eaten as well, called “hearts of celery”. celery

How to be Successful in this Lab… FACT: Lab practicals and quizzes will be based on your ability to identify a given vegetable, fruit, flower, etc…so learn them and be able to visually recognize them! Use the “prop” resources available to you during lab by taking time to familiarize yourself with each specimen - DO NOT divide and conquer! Bring your lab packet with you to each lab. Make flashcards and study/learn them by grouping them and making multiple connections - place of origin, family, part of the plant, etc.

Men of Science would do well to talk plain English. The most abstruse questions can very well be discussed in our own tongue… I make a particular appeal to the botanists, who appear to delight in troublesome words. Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge

Prop Cards You will “meet” a lot of plants this semester, presented as fresh or dry products or packaged props. Each will come with a prop card carrying the information you need to know. Learn how to interpret the material on each card.

Nomenclature Related plants are grouped into a genus (plural, genera). The genus name is capitalized and underlined or italicized. The specific epithet is the second part of the name of a species. It is underlined or italicized. Related genera are grouped into families. The family name is always capitalized but its not italicized. Theobroma cacao in the Sterculiaceae V V V genus name specific epithet family