Plants and botany
How plants live, grow, and reproduce
Botany starts with precise vocabulary: leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and seeds each have a job. This guide introduces the terms and the flowering cycle, then shows how plants survive in their environment.
Anatomy and strategies
Leaves, pollination, and seed dispersal
Three concepts explained with clear, observable features.
Leaf morphology
Leaf shape and venation
Leaf blades vary in outline, margin, and vein pattern. Observing these features helps students compare species.
Pollination
Pollination vectors
Wind, insects, and water carry pollen. Flower colour, scent, and shape often reflect the vector a plant relies on.
Dispersal
Seed dispersal strategies
Seeds travel by wind, animals, water, or self-propulsion. Each method suits a different habitat and seed structure.
Herbarium practice
Pressing and labelling a specimen
Collect a whole, undamaged specimen, press it flat between absorbent paper, and dry it under weight for several days. Record the date, location, habitat, and collector on a label kept with the sheet.
