Specimen provided

Specimen A – Corm of cocoyam

Specimen B – a bulb of onion

Specimen C – Rhizome of ginger

Specimen D – carrot

Specimen E – water plant (Talinum  sp.)

Specimen F – Guinea grass

 

Specimen G – Tridax  sp.

Questions

State four observable similarities between specimens A and C.

ANSWER:

• Both have scale leaves
• Presence of leaf scar.
• Both have nodes and internodes.
• Possess adventitious roots
• Presence of terminal and axillary buds
• They are both storage organs
• They are also underground stems.

State four observable differences between specimens B and C.

Specimen B	Specimen C
Short vertical stem	Long horizontal stem short
t internodes	Long internodes
Presence of fleshy (storage) leaves	Absence of fleshy leaves
leaves arranged in a concentric ring	leaves not arranged in concentric rings
A cluster of adventitious roots	Adventitious roots are spaced
Absence of leaf scar	Presence of leaf scar
Lateral buds are enclosed (protected)	Lateral buds are exposed

Name one type of food stored in each of specimens A, B and C.

Food substances in the rhizome of the ginger

• Starch
• Minerals
• Vitamins

Food substances in cocoyam:

• Starch

Food substances in onion:

• Glucose
• Vitamins

State three observable features each in specimens A, B, and C that adapt them to their environment.

Observable adaptive features of specimen A of the ginger

• Possess buds for vegetative propagation
• Presence of scale leaves for protection.
• Adventitious roots are also present for anchorage and absorption of water and minerals.
• It is also swollen with food.
• Also the presence of contractile roots to push the corm into the soil.

Observable adaptive features of specimen B of the ginger

• Scale leaves for protection
• Buds for vegetative propagation
• Adventitious roots for anchorage and absorption of water and mineral salts
• Fleshy leaves for food storage.

Observable adaptive features of specimen C of the ginger

• Scale leaves for protection
• Buds for vegetative propagation
• Adventitious roots for anchorage and absorption of water and mineral salts
• Swollen underground stem stores food

Make a labelled drawing 8cm to 10cm long of specimen A.

A label drawing of specimen A

Make a labelled drawing 8cm to 10cm long of specimen B.

A label drawing of specimen B

State the part of the plant to which each of the specimens C and D belong.

• Specimen C is a modified stem (underground stem).
• Specimen D is a root (tap root).

State three observable differences between specimens C and D.

Specimen C	Specimen D
Scale leaves present scale	scale leaves absent
Nodes and internodes	o nodes and internodes
Presence of buds	Buds are absent
Adventitious roots are present	Adventitious roots are absent (in most)

How can you propagate specimen C?

• Specimen C is propagated by stem cutting (natural vegetative propagation).

Give one reason based on observable features found on specimen C

• Possess buds

Make a labelled drawing 8cm to 10cm long of specimen C.

A label drawing of specimen C

State five observable similarities between specimens E and G.

• Both have simple leaves
• Possession of terminal flowers in both specimens
• Presence of green stems
• Presence of branched stems
• Also, both possess soft stems
• Their leave have reticulate venation
• Presence of nodes and internodes
• Presence of buds
• Floral buds presence in both specimens

Tabulate four observable differences between specimens E and F.

Specimen E	Specimen F
Woody stem	Soft stem leaves
leaves are horizontal	Leaves are upright
Leaf stalk	Leaf-sheath
Net venation	Parallel venation
Nodes exposed	Nodes enclosed
Broad leaves	Narrow leaves
No hairs	Hairy

List six observable differences between specimens E and G.

Specimen E	Specimen G
Relatively shorter internodes	Relatively longer internodes
Alternate leaves	Opposite leaves
Serrated leaf margin	Smooth leaf margin
Spatulate leaves	Ovate leaves
Succulent leaves	Non succulent leaves
Round leave tips	Acute leaf tip
No hairy stem	Hairy stem and leaves
No capitulum	Presence of capitulum
Absence of adventitious roots	Presence of adventitious roots
Absence of strangling stem	Presence of strangling stem
Swollen taproot	Taproot not swollen
Fruit with no parachute	Fruit with a parachute-like fruit
Leaf veins are less conspicuous	Leaf veins are more conspicuous
Relatively brighter petals	Relatively less bright petals

Remove one leave of specimen G and make a labelled drawing of 8cm to 10cm long of the upper surface of the leaf removed.

A label drawing of the upper surface of the leaf of specimen G

 

State the phylum and class of specimen E with at least two reasons in each case.

Specimen E

               Phylum/Division Angiospermophyta

  Reason:

• Bears flower
• Bear fruit containing seed

             Class Dicotyledoneae

  Reason:

• Possess taproot system
• The leaves have net venation
• Presence of leave stalk.
• The leaves are also broad.

List three economic importance of specimen C.

• Serves as food (spice)
• Source of income.
• It is also used as medicine.
• Source of employment

State the observable features of specimen C that classified it as an underground stem.

• Possess axillary buds.
• possess terminal buds.
• Presence of nodes and internodes.
• Also possess scale leaves
• Presence of adventitious roots.

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