Carolina Morales Journal---Green Terrestrial Plants

Phylogeny Placement: I chose the Devil’s beggarticks. It is a North American species of flowering plant in the aster family that is widespread across much of Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It is in the Domain: Eukaryota, Kingdom: Plantae, Phylum: Spermatophyta, Subphylum: Angiospermae, Class: Dicotyledonae, Order: Asterales, Family: Asteraceae, Genus: Bidens, and Species: Bidens frondosa.

General Adaptation: The general adaptation of all my observations is a type of behavioral adaptation called gravitropism. Gravitropism, otherwise known as geotropism, is the influence of gravity on plant growth. Gravitropism helps plants extend their roots deep into the soil to uptake water and nutrients and helps the stem of the plants to grow and orient the photosynthesizing leaves vertically up towards the source of light even when they were tilted or on a small hill.

Unique Adaptation: The Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), has evolved to have very colourful fruit that attracts animals, especially birds, to eat the fruit. This is so that, when the seeds go through the animal’s digestive tract, the seeds are deposited with natural fertilizer in other locations. The Virginia Creeper has also evolved to contain calcium oxalate crystals that cause irritation and pain when they are chewed or swallowed. This is to prevent certain animals from doing more than sampling the plant which protects the Virginia Creeper from being destroyed.

Posted on September 21, 2021 05:59 PM by ana-caro