Agricultural Science Notes

Grade 11
Topic: Simple Morphology, anatomy and Physiology of Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons
Plants may be classified according to their major groups, family, life cycle or growth habit.

Classification Description
Major groups Seed plants or flowering plants
Family Monocotyledons or Dicotyledons
Life cycle Annuals- complete life cycle in one season ( e.g.
lettuce, tomatoes, peas, corn)
Biennials life cycle in two growing seasons e.g.(
carrot, celery, radish, beetroot)
Perennials – continue to grow for many years (e.g.
citrus, mango, coffee, cocoa)
Growth habit Herbs- plants with soft , non-woody stems usually less
than 2m in height
Shrubs- have stiff, woody stem, produce branches
close to the ground, less than 5m in height (e.g. cherry,
guava, hibiscus)
Trees- tall woody plants with a well-defined trunk and
branches at some distance from the ground (e.g.
mango, breadfruit, cedar, teak, mahogany)

Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons

Monocotyledons
Seeds have one cotyledon (seed leaf)
Fibrous root systems
Stems with scattered vascular bundles
Long thin leaves with parallel veins
Flower parts in threes, lack brightly coloured
petals or sepals
Mainly herbs and grasses with few trees
e.g. rice, corn, bamboo, sugar cane
Dicotyledons
Seeds have two cotyledons and an embryo
Tap root systems
Stems with cylindrical arrangement of vascular
bundles
Rounded , broader leaves with net-like
arrangement of veins veins
Flower parts are numerous and is brightly
coloured
Herbs, shrubs and trees
e.g. cotton, cabbage, citrus

External structures of plants

1. Roots
Function of roots
1. Anchorage
2. Absorption of water and minerals
 3. Storage

There are four main types of roots: tap, fibrous, adventitious and aerial roots
 Tap roots- a main or tap, root with lateral roots growing out to the side (e.g.
mango, tomato)
 Fibrous roots- consist of a cluster of roots growing from the base of the stem
(e.g. coconut palm, corn, grass)
 Adventitious roots- roots grow from the base of the stem cuttings (e.g. crotons)
or from leaves (e.g. Bryophyllum)
 Aerial roots grow above the ground (e.g. Ficus. Philodendron)

Stems
Functions of stems
1. Transport- the medium through which water and minerals move upward in a plant and
the movement of manufactured food from leaves downwards. Within the stem, vascular
tissues (xylem and phloem) transports materials to places within the plant where they are
most needed. Xylem transports water and minerals absorbed from the roots to the stems,
leaves and flowers. Phloem, carries sugars produced in the leaves to areas in need of
energy, such as the plant's root system.
2. Support- holds the upper parts of the plant
3. Storage- stores manufactured food e.g. sugarcane

Modifications (stems that are especially suited to a particular habitat and environment).

1. Prostrate stems- creep on the ground to form a mat e.g. stolon, runners
2. Underground stems – e.g. rhizomes
3. Twinning stems e.g. yam
4. Stem tendrils e.g. pumpkin
5. Cladodes- stems becoming leaf like e.g. cactus

Leaves
The term leaf refers to the organ that forms the main lateral appendage on the stem of
vascular plants. A typical leaf consist of

 Leaf blade or lamina which is the flat part

 Leaf stalk or petiole which attaches the lea to the stem
 A midrib or main vein, consisting of the transporting tissues
 A network of smaller veins
 Apex
 Simple diagram of a leaf

Functions of the leaf

1. Photosynthesis
2. Transportation
3. Exchange of gases
4. Storage of food

Internally leaves are made up of epidermis, mesophyll and vascular tissues

Epidermis- (upper epidermis and lower epidermis) contains cuticle which slows down
evaporation of water, protects internal tissues
Mesophyll- (palisade mesophyll found in the upper part and spongy mesophyll found in the
lower part) cells with chloroplasts that contains chlorophyll
Vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) xylem transports water and mineral up to the leaf
Phloem transports manufactured food (sugar) from leaves to other parts of the plant

Homework**must be done in notebook

Make drawings of
1. different types of root systems
2. the leaf of monocot and four types of dicot leaf ( two simple leaves and two compound
leaves)
3. the internal structure of a dicot leaf
30 marks