Plant morphology

Plant morphology or phytomorphology is the study of the physical form and external structure of plants. This is usually considered distinct from plant anatomy, which is the study of the internal structure of plants, especially at the microscopic level. Plant morphology is useful in the visual identification of plants.

Overview

Plant morphology "represents a study of the development, form, and structure of plants, and, by implication, an attempt to interpret these on the basis of similarity of plan and origin". There are four major areas of investigation in plant morphology, and each overlaps with another field of the biological sciences.

First of all, morphology is comparative, meaning that the morphologist examines structures in many different plants of the same or different species, then draws comparisons and formulates ideas about similarities. When structures in different species are believed to exist and develop as a result of common, inherited genetic pathways, those structures are termed homologous. For example, the leaves of pine, oak, and cabbage all look different, but share certain basic structures and arrangement of parts. The homology of these structures is often obvious - the leaf form of all three kinds can be easily compared, even by a layperson.

History

The history of plant morphology dates back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt and India, where plants were often used for medicinal purposes. The Greeks, Romans, and Chinese also contributed to the early study of plant morphology. In the Middle Ages, the study of plants was largely limited to the study of the medicinal properties of plants, and the classification of plants was based on their medicinal properties.

Modern Plant Morphology

Modern plant morphology uses a combination of observational, experimental, and molecular techniques to study plant form and structure. Techniques such as microscopy, plant breeding, and genetic engineering are used to study plant morphology.

See also

• Plant anatomy
• Plant physiology
• Plant taxonomy
• Plant ecology
• Plant evolution

References

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