1. Typical plant body A “typical" angiosperm body is organised into:
Root System
Generally underground, (usually) anchors the plant to the soil
Functions:
Absorbs water and nutrients
Conducts water and nutrients
Stores photosynthetic products
Shoot System
Generally above ground (includes leaves and reproductive organs), (usually) elevates the plant above soil
Functions include:
photosynthesis
reproduction & dispersal
food and water conduction
storage

2. Organs of the plant body
Roots
Anchor the plant
Absorb water and minerals from the soil
Conducts water and minerals to photosynthetic organs
Stores photosynthetic products
 Leaves
Photosynthesis
Storage of photosynthetic products
Transpiration
 Stem
Gives rise to new leaves and flowers
Transports resources between organs
Site for formation of new leaves and new cells for growth and differentiation
Storage

3. Gross morphology of the plant body
PLANT MORPHOLOGY
Stems consist of alternating nodes
The angle created where the leaf attaches to the stem is an axil
The axil contains an axillary bud, which gives rise to lateral branches
The tip of the shoot is an apex which holds the terminal bud
The shoot apex is where elongation of the shoot occurs
The apical bud inhibits the growth of the axillary buds

4. Shoot system Shoot system includes: stem (with nodes and internodes)
leaves
buds
flowers and fruits.

5. Root system
Roots have specialized parts that develop from the three major types of plant tissue:
Ground
Dermal
Vascular

6. Monocots vs eudicots
Angiosperms consist of four groups, Monocots, Eudicots, Magnolids and basal angiosperms. The differences among the first three groups are not always clear, but some general trends are outlined below.
Monocots Eudicots and Magnolids
Floral arrangement 3's 4's and 5's
Leaf venation parallel net
Stem vascular bundles scattered ring
Habit herbaceous herbaceous/woody
Roots fibrous taproot
Growth primary only primary and secondary

8. Life history strategies
Size Plants range in size from microscopic floating water meal (Wolffia microscopica), the smallest flowering plant known, to the Australian gum trees (Eucalyptus), some of the tallest trees on earth. Life form Herbaceous plants are non-woody (the above ground parts dying at end of season, or the whole plants maturing and senescing at the end of the growing season). Woody plants persist over several to many seasons.

9. Life history strategies
Annuals are herbaceous plants that grow, reproduce and die in one year.
Biennials are herbaceous plants that take two years to complete their life cycle
Perennials are herbaceous or woody plants that have the potential to live for more than two years.