Tag: botany

An organic substance which can withstand environmental extremes and which cannot be degraded by an enzyme is sporopollenin. It is the substance present in the exine layer of pollen grains. Due to its presence, fossils of pollen grains can be found. 

Reptiles, birds land snails and insects excrete nitrogenous wastes as uric acid in the form of white paste and thus they are called uricotelic animals. 

Amarbel is an example of the parasite. Cuscuta reflexa is the botanical name for the amarbel. It is also known as giant dodder. It grows in a creative manner over host plants and this species has the capability of producing numerous branches within a short period of time. Since it is a parasitic plant, so it depends on host plants for food. Over haustoria, amarbel provide communication with its host plants. Amarbel is widely used in the treatment for a headache, labour pain, bone fracture, fever and rheumatism. 

Balanophora is a total root parasite because it sucks nutrients and water from the roots of host plants like cabbage etc for its survival. In turn, it causes harm to the host.

A. Arceuthobium also called dwarf mistletoe, is a parasitic plant growing on pine etc. Its length is about 5mm-8mm. It is the smallest parasitic angiosperm known till date.

A plant which depends on its host for only water and nutrients, but not sugars is a partial parasite. They do not depend on the host for food as they are usually chlorophyllous, so they are able to photosynthesize. 

Utricularia is also called as bladderwort because a part of the leaf is modified into a bladder like structure for catching small animals. It is a total root parasite because it is rootless and cannot prepare its own food.