Print out this linked PDF and bring it with you to the lab.  It will save you a lot of time!  All you will have to do is fill in the table and add any new veggies.

You can download Ratna's powerpoint that includes the posters shown in lab at this link.

Laboratory 1: Plant Vegetative Morphology and Vegetables
 

INTRODUCTION

The goals of this laboratory exercise are to familiarize you with the vegetative morphology of flowering plants and to make you more aware of the different types of edible vegetables we use in our daily lives. Leaves, stems, and roots comprise the vegetative body of a flowering plant. Leaves are responsible for photosynthesis. Stems comprise the central axis and branches of a plant, a system which acts to transport photosynthates from the leaves to other organs of the plant and to transport water and nutrients from the roots. The system of stems and branches also serves to get the solar panels of the plant--the leaves--to the light. Together, leaves and stems are often referred to as shoots. Roots serve as anchors, holding the plant upright, and as sponges that extract water and nutrients from the soil. Many roots and stems are also modified for the storage of nutrients. These nutrients are in turn used by the plant to produce new growth.

Over the course of human evolution a diverse array of plant vegetative structures have been selected for their food value. The vegetables we eat today have a long history of artificial selection and cultivation. There was a time in the past when the ancestors of the plants we eat today were gathered from the wild to sustain the lives of our ancestors. Eventually, these wild plants were selected and modified through cultivation to support the growing population of human beings on this planet. We rely on many plant vegetative structures as food for ourselves as well as for our livestock.

By the end of this lab period you should be able to recognize the different vegetative structures of a typical flowering plant and to describe briefly the importance that each of these structures serves in the life of a plant. You should be able to recognize numerous edible vegetables by their common and scientific name and, in general, know what vegetative plant structure is represented by the vegetables on display. You should also gain a basic understanding and especially an appreciation of the diversity of geographic origins of cultivated plants. Stated in other words: we want you to know your food!

ACTIVITY

Can you match the common names listed below with the vegetables displayed? Study the vegetables provided, paying special attention to their morphological structure, family, scientific name, and geographic origin. Clicking on one of the thumbnail images will open a larger picture.  HINT:  Print this out and bring it to lab--then all you will need to do is fill in the table.
 

COMMON NAME	IMAGE	FAMILY/SCIENTIFIC NAME	STRUCTURE	ORIGIN
alfalfa sprouts
aloe vera leaf
asparagus White asparagus is grown covered with soil
bamboo shoots
bean sprouts (Mung)
beet
bok-choi also baby bok choi
broccoli raab, Italian turnip broccoli
brussels sprouts
cabbage
cactus pad
carrot Maroon carrots were developed at A&M.  They are higher in nutrients
cassava/manioc/yuca
celery celery root
chinese cabbage
cilantro
cinnamon
collard greens
daikon
Belgian endive (pictured)  or endive
fennel
garlic Elephant garlic is much larger and is actually the same species as leek.
ginger
gobo root, Japanese burdock
horseradish
jicama
kale various varieties, including colored
kohlrabi
leek ("elephant garlic" is the same species)
lemon grass
lettuce	Iceberg Bibb/Boston/Butterhead Lettuce Curled or Leaf Lettuce Frizze Lettuce Romaine or Cos Lettuce	All the same species, but these belong to different varieties
lotus "root"
malanga, yawtia, tannia
maple syrup
mushroom
mustard greens
ong choy, kangkung, water spinach, swamp cabbage Federal Noxious weed!
onion	red yellow green-tailed, scallion pearl or boiling onion
palm heart
parsley	curled parsley Italian (flat-leaved) parsley (on right)	Same species, different varieties
parsnip
potato	red Russet finger potatoes
radicchio
radish
rhubarb
rutabaga		include variety
salsify, oyster plant
shallot
spinach
sugar cane
sweet potato, boniato	boniato
swiss chard		include variety
taro root
turnip		include subspecies
water chestnut
water cress
yam, name'

 

STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What are the three main vegetative organs used for dietary purposes?

 
2. Sketch a leaf and label the parts.

 
3. Why are leaves so important to a plant? What purposes do they serve? Why are the leaves of a plant so important to life on planet Earth?

 
4. What are three ways that leaves can be arranged on a stem?

 
5. Draw a compound leaf and a simple leaf.

 
6. How can you tell the difference between monocots and dicots using leaf characteristics?

 
7. What purposes do stems serve in overall plant function?

 
8. Name one similarity and one difference between a carrot and a white potato. Think about function and vegetative structure.

 
9. Asparagus is the Cadillac of all vegetables. What part of the asparagus plant do we actually eat?

 
10. White potatoes are modified stems which grow underground. How can one tell that these vegetables are actually stems and not roots? What purpose does this stem modification serve in overall plant function?

 
11. What is an onion? Name the parts of an onion. What purpose does an onion serve in the overall function of the onion plant?

 
12. You should know by now that each of the vegetables we eat has a wild ancestor. Why might the wild ancestors of the common potato, sweet potato, and carrot have smaller underground organs than the cultivars which are grown by human beings?

 
13. What are two main types of root systems in flowering plants? How do monocot roots and dicot roots typically differ?

 
14. What is a brussels sprout?

 
15. Give the common name of four vegetables in the family Brassicaceae.

 
16. What are two functions of roots?

 
17. Carrots, radishes, and turnips are quite similar in structure and function. What do we call these structures and what is their main function?

 
18. What part of a mushroom do we eat? Is a mushroom a plant?



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Last updated 8/7/2007
 Nomenclature conforms with World Economic Plants, a Standard Reference  by John H. Wiersema and Blanca León. 1999, CRC Publishing.