221 Facts Tell Me What

Chlorophyll is a green pigment. It is present as disc-like units in chloroplasts in the leaves of green plants. It plays an important role in producing food in the form of sugar in leaves. It is also found in the cells of stems and flowers. Chlorophyll makes sugar in the presence of sunlight, minerals, water […]

The bright colours and scent of flowers attract us. The fragrance of a flower is due to the presence of essential oils in its petals. These essential oils are complex substances. They produce volatile oils which keep on evaporating. The vapour of these volatile oils is fragrant in nature. This is the reason why we

Fungi are simple plants that grow on other living things. They do not have roots, stems and leaves like other plants. Fungi are much closer to animals than plants because of their biology. They are found growing in moist places as they need water for the digestion of food and growth. They lack chlorophyll and

A true annual is a plant that completes its life cycle in one year. They grow from seed, bloom, produce seeds, and die in one growing season. Annual plants provide beautiful colourful flowers from spring through fall. Some most famous annuals are petunias, marigolds, and zinnias. Plants that live for two years are called biennial

Conservation means preservation or saving. It is an effort made by humans to protect natural resources on the Earth. Natural resources are of two types: renewable that can be renewed and replenished after use and non-renewable that cannot be replenished. The need for conservation of these resources has arisen due to overuse and destruction of

A seed is a baby plant (embryo) enclosed in a protective outer covering known as the seed coat. Seeds are produced by the flowers of the plant. A seed begins to grow when it gets proper amount of water, air and warmth. This process is called sprouting or germination. The baby plant that comes out

Every part of a tree or plant receives water and nutrition in the form of sap. This sap comes from roots. Roots absorb sap from soil. The transport of sap from roots to the various parts of plants is based on different scientific principles such as: osmotic pressure, transpiration and cohesion of water. First, water

Lichens are plant-like organisms that do not have roots, leaves or flowers. Lichens are colourful and their colour ranges from pale grey to bright green in moist conditions. There are about 15,000 species of lichens exist on the Earth. They grow in waste places, on bare rocks, bare soil, dead wood and tree bark. They

Soil is the upper layer of earth. It is one of the three major natural resources besides air and water. It is formed by weathering of rocks into very small and minute fragments. It can be of different colours such as yellow, red, black or dark brown. It is composed of a mixture of organic

Pollination is the process of the transfer of pollens from stamens to pistils. Stamens and pistils are parts of flowers that help produce new seeds. In a flower, stamen is the part that produces pollen. The pollen is usually yellow in colour and is released as fine dust. It is then transferred to pistil and

Weeds are unwanted plants grown in lawns and gardens. They are not sown intentionally by farmers. Weeds are harmful to other plants. They reduce crop yield by competing for water, light, soil nutrients and space. Some of them are poisonous to cattle and horses. They act as carriers of disease-causing organisms for plants. Wild mustards,

Herbs are plants with weak non-woody stems. Most of these plants have strong smell and medicinal uses. Leaves, seeds or flowers of these plants can be used as flavouring agents, food, medicine or in perfumes. Some of the common examples of herbs are parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme and dill. They can be used in fresh

There are many different types of plants but typically they are divided into two major groups that are vascular and non-vascular plants. Vascular are the plants that have specific tissues that help to move food and water through the plant. These plants are further divided into non-flowering plants and flowering plants. Non-vascular are smaller plants

The term botany comes from the ancient Greek word ‘botane’ meaning herb. Botany is the scientific study of plants. It is also called ‘Plant Science’ or ‘Plant Biology’. Botany includes the study of plant structures, their classification, properties, diseases, etc. Plants refer to a wide range of living organisms, i.e. from the smallest bacteria to