Eye Wonder

First published in Great Britain in 2005 byDorling Kindersley Limited

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL

A Penguin Company

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

Copyright © 2005 Dorling Kindersley Limited, London

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in

any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior

written permission of the copyright owner.

ISBN 1-4053-0598-3

Colour reproduction by Colourscan, SingaporePrinted and bound in Italy by L.E.G.O.

see our completecatalogue at

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Written and edited by Fleur StarDesigned by Janet Allis

Publishing manager Sue LeonardManaging art editor Clare Shedden

Jacket design Chris DrewPicture researcher Sarah Pownall

Production Luca BazzoliDTP Designer Almudena Díaz

Consultant Sandra Bell

LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH,

MELBOURNE, and DELHI

4-5 What is a plant?

6-7 Grow up!

8-9 Putting down roots

10-11 Leaf it out

12-13 Food factories

14-15 Pollination

16-17 Flower partners

18-19 Going to seed

20-21 Carried away

22-23 On the menu

24-25 Plant protection

26-27 Tree types

Contents

28-29 Tree house

30-31 Muscling in

32-33 Meat-eaters

34-35 Creepers and climbers

36-37 Water worlds

38-39 On dry land

40-41 Cold climate

42-43 Plant providers

44-45 Strange but true

46-47Glossary

48 Index and

acknowledgements

4

Life on Earth is divided intoplants, animals, and fungi.There are thought to beabout 400,000 species ofplants in the world. The firstplants – algae, which live in water – appeared about 3 billion years ago.

Plant partsEvery part of a plant hasa job to do. Leaves makefood, the stem carrieswater, and flowers makeseeds. All flowering

plants have the same basicmake-up, evenif they lookquite different.

What is a plant?FlowerFlower bud

Leaf bud

Roots

Plant needsA plant needs four things to survive: sunlight,water, minerals, and air. Minerals come fromthe soil, while air provides the gases forbreathing and photosynthesis (making food).

Woodystem

Leaf

Roots divide tohold the plantin the ground.

Stalk

Hibiscus plant

Sunlight Water

Minerals from soil

Air

Anthers

Is it a plant?Lichen, seen here growing onrotten trees, is a partnership ofalgae and fungi. Unlike algae,

lichen and fungi are notplants because they donot make their own foodthrough photosynthesis.

First plantsNon-flowering plants, such as

ferns and mosses, are amongthe oldest plants in the

world. About 300 millionyears ago great forests ofthem covered the land.

Ferns and mossesdo not have seeds,but reproduce from spores.

First flowersAncient fossils show that someof the first flowers looked verymuch like magnolias. Theyshare features that not allplants have, such as havingmany anthers.

Lichen growingon trees isusually grey,green, or yellow.

Grow up!

Germinate When a seedstarts growing into a plant.

Root The part of a plant that grows underground andabsorbs water and nutrients.

Shoot Any part of a plantthat grows above ground, such as the stem or leaves.

Plant words

Inside storyTo start growing, a seed

needs air, water, and the right temperature.The seed absorbs air andwater, which makes itswell and split. Then thefirst root breaks through.

The first shoot ismade up of theleaves and stem.

A seed is a pocket-sized plant. It contains everything that a plant has: leaves, stems, and roots, plus food, or nutrients,for the time the plant is inside the seed. Some seeds can liearound for years waiting for the right conditions to grow.

6

Root

Reach for the SunAs soon as the leaves are out, theybegin to catch sunlight to makefood. Now the plant has grown, the seed will shrivel because it is no longer needed.

Cracking upYoung plants are

surprisingly strong. Theycan force their way up through

rocks, tarmac and cracks in thepavement. You might be ableto find some growing through

your garden path!Roots keep theplant fixed firmlyin the ground.

Taking rootRoots spread outunderground to absorbwater and nutrientsfrom the earth. Theyare covered in hairs to take in as muchwater as possible.

7

8

Roots do two things: they anchor plants and keep them secure, and they absorb water and food. Some roots have weird and wonderful ways of doing this!

Putting down roots

Far outRoots can only growwhere there is water.Tree roots near thesurface grow outwards,up to four times thewidth of the tree.Other roots can digdown deep enough tobreak through sewers.

Storage systemNot everything underground is a root. Bulbs are food storage

systems that contain theleaves and stems of newplants. When the plant

grows, the roots descend.

Stuck in the mudMangroves live in swamps. Theirhuge prop roots support the stemsto stop them being washed away.The tangled roots also trap mud,which has nutrients for the tree.

9

Big buttsWhen trees grow inshallow soil, such as in rainforests, their rootsmight grow above thesurface of the ground.These are buttress roots,which keep the treestable. Some cangrow to 4.5 m (15 ft) tall.

GRASS ROOTS

In 1937, an American scientist called Howard Dittmerstudied the roots of a rye grass plant. The plant was just50 cm (20 in) tall, and had 80 shoots. But ithad more than 620 km (380 miles) of roots! They could cover an area of 237 sq m (2,554 sq ft), enough to carpet a large house. And thisdoesn’t include the 14 billion root hairs!

All leaves are made up of a blade on a stalk, buteach different kind has it own shape, colour, andway of growing. This is because plants have leavesthat suit the environment in which they grow.

Leaf it out

•Cactus plants have spinesinstead of leaves.

•Leaves are covered in waxto stop them drying out in thesunlight and wind.

•Tea is made from the leavesof the tea plant. 500 g (1 lb) oftea leaves can make 300 cups.

Leaf facts

Leaf typesMost plants have simpleleaves, which means theyhave a single blade comingoff the stalk. Each leaf grows

from a bud. Other plantshave compound leaves, made

up of individual leaflets.

Midrib

Palmate leaves look like hands. They

can be simple orcompound, like thishorse chestnut.

Many pine trees grow incold places. Their needlesare thin and pointed toshake off snow. A variegated leaf has spots

of different colours, whichcome from chemicalsinside the leaf.

VariegatedNee

dles

Palm

ate

Sim

ple

Vein

Stalk

Leaf blade

10

The “leaves” of wildasparagus are reallyfeathery stems thatcan stand up to gales.

What a dripLeaves cannot absorb water,

so they have drainage systemsto stop them drowning. Water

collects in ridges and runs off a“drip-tip” on the end of the leaf.

Changing colourLeaves get their green

colour from chlorophyll,which they use to makefood. When the leavesrest in the autumn, thechlorophyll fades away,

revealing the reds and yellows of other

chemicals in the leaf.

The leaflets of a compoundleaf grow straight from thestalk, not from buds.

Compo

und

Feat

hery

Some leaves turn red fromwaste productsstored inside.

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Drip-tip

Plants are unique – they are the only livingthings that make their own food. This process iscalled photosynthesis, which can only happen inthe daytime because it uses sunlight.

Food factories

What’s cooking?Leaves take in sunlight, carbondioxide (CO2) from the air, andwater from the roots and mixthem together using chlorophyll.This recipe makes glucose, a type of sugary plant food, and oxygen.

Plants losewater andgases fromtheir leaves.

Sunl

ight

Going greenThis close-up of a leaf shows

green dots inside the cells.These are the stores of

chlorophyll, and they giveleaves their green colour.

Air holesThe carbon dioxide used

in photosynthesis is takenin through stomata, tiny

holes on the surface ofevery leaf. They also

“breathe out” any extraoxygen that the plant does

not use for respiration.

Carbon dioxide

Oxygen

Open stomata

Photosynthesis The uniqueway plants make their own food.

Respiration How livingthings turn food into energy.

Chlorophyll A chemicalfound inside leaves that is used for photosynthesis.

Leaf words

13

Spare CO2 thathas not been usedfor making food is released back into the air.

Energy sourceLike all living things, plantsget energy from food. This iscalled respiration. Plants useoxygen to turn food intoenergy, which helps them to grow. The oxygen comes from the air or from photosynthesis.

Closed for the nightRespiration occurs 24 hours

a day, but photosynthesisstops at night when there is

no sun. Many plants closetheir stomata at night as

they rest. Oxygen and CO2

can still pass in and out ofthe leaf cells even though

the stomata are shut.

Wat

er

Oxygen

Carbon dioxide

Closed stomata

Watch a patch of flowers on asummer’s day and you will soon see a bee or a butterfly. Many flowersneed these insects for pollination (thetransfer of pollen from plant to plant).

Pollination

Landing lightsThis flower looks plain yellow to us,but insects can see ultra-violet light.This shows up patterns on flowerscalled nectar guides. They point outexactly where the nectar is in theflower, leading insects straight to it.

Ovary

Anther

Stigma

•A honeybee may visit10,000 flowers in one day.

•Bees account for 80 per cent of all insect pollination.

•Some plants rely on thesame insect for pollination,others may be pollinated byseveral different insects.

Pollination facts

Take a close lookPollination happens when pollen fromone plant’s anthers is carried to thestigma of another. The pollen thenfertilizes an egg in the ovary, the first step to making a seed.

Style

Normal light Ultra-violet light

Anther

Petal

Busy as a beeBees pollinate many of theworld’s crops, from apples and pears to cucumbers andmelons. They zip between

the flowers at the dizzyspeed of 24 kph (15 mph).

A good dustingWhen a bee lands ona flower, its body isdusted with pollen. Itcollects this pollen inpollen baskets on itsback legs, but enoughis left to pollinateother flowers.

The bee uses itsproboscis to suck upnectar to take backto the hive.

PollenMagnified many times, pollengrains are differently shapeddepending on their parent plant.Some have spiky casings.

The bee mixes pollenwith nectar, makingit sticky so it stays inthe pollen baskets.

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•A carpenter bee buzzes atthe right pitch to shake loosethe pollen of a gentian flower.

•The dead-horse arum stinksof rotting meat to attractblow-flies.

•Moths seek pale yellow or white flowers at night.

Perfect pairs

Just like you might prefer one drink to another, some animals will choose todrink nectar from certain plants. Andthese plants will try all sorts of tricks to attract their chosen pollinator.

Flower partners

Going battyIn the deserts of North America,long-nosed bats feed from centuryplants. The bat’s thick fur picks uplots of pollen as it buries its headin the flower for a drink of nectar.

Fly-by feederHummingbirds can access flowers that other birdscannot reach, because they are the only birds

that can hover in mid-air. Flowers that wantto attract birds are usually coloured red.

Bee mineBee orchids look andsmell like female beesto attract male bees.There are around 130types of bee orchid inEurope that impersonatedifferent kinds of bees.

Smelling right is as

important aslooking pretty.

16

Lap it upIn New Zealand, flax plants provide atasty drink for geckos. As they climb upthe stem and drink from the flower, theyget pollen all over their chins.

Running wildTiny honey possums inAustralia clamber all overthe flowers of a banksiaplant to gather nectar. Of course, they get coveredin pollen while doing so!

The yellowpollen stains the gecko’s chin.

17

Flowering plants reproduce by makingseeds, which happens after a plant hasbeen pollinated. Seeds are valuable andneed protecting, so a plant will growfruit to cover the seeds.

From blossom to appleAn apple tree’s white blossomappears in the spring. When the blossom ispollinated, it makes

seeds. Then an applegrows from each blossom

to protect the seeds. By autumn, the apple is fully grown and ready to eat!

Going to seed

Seed headA sunflower is made up of lots of little flowers, each of which make a seedwhen it is pollinated. There arearound 1,000 seeds inside justone sunflower head. Every seedis surrounded by its own case.

Sunflower seedscan be roastedand eaten in salads.

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Seeds

Seeds

Scores of sporesNon-flowering plants do

not have seeds. Ferns havespores instead, which canbe seen on the underside ofthe leaves. When the spores

are ripe, they fall off the leaf.

Wooden fruitNot all fruit is edible: the fruit of pinetrees are wooden cones. Pine treestake two years to make seeds, whichare kept safe inside the cones. Whenthe seeds are ready, the cones burstopen. The seeds fall to the ground,where many will be eaten by forestanimals and birds.

Spores onunderside ofa fern leaf.

Sprouting spudsHave you ever seen an old, wrinkly potato? It probably has “eyes” –green buds that will growinto new plants. Potatoesare not seeds, but tubers,which are underground food stores for the plant.

Strawberries have seeds,but new plants grow moreeasily from runners.

New potato plants sprouting.

19

Seeds

20

Plants spread their seeds so they can grow in new places. This is called seed dispersal. It gives the seeds a chance to find sunlight,water, and food that are not already being used by the parent plant or by other seeds.

Carried away

Get stuck inHave you ever let a pet dog run infields? It might have come back withburrs in its fur. Burrs are seeds withsticky or spiky coats that grip animalfur, later falling off onto new ground.

SPIT OUT THE SEEDS

The Mediterranean squirting cucumberhas a messy method of seed dispersal. As it grows, each cucumber fruit fills withslime until there’s no more room. Then,suddenly... POP! The fruit bursts, comesoff its stalk, and flies through the airlike a rocket for 6 m (20 ft), sprayingslime and seedsbehind it.

Just passing throughFruit is tasty and colourful to getanimals to eat it. Animalsswallow seeds with thefruit. When the seedshave passed throughthe animal, they arefar away from theparent plant.

A flying startImpatiens are a group of gardenplants sometimes called “touch-me-nots”. Their seed pods areready to burst at the slightesttouch. Seeds are flung out,although they don’t travel far.

The pod pushes the seeds forward.

Go with the flowCoconuts may be one of thelargest seeds, but they arehollow and light enough tofloat. This way they can travelacross oceans, and they havebeen known to survive journeysof 1,600 km (1,000 miles).

Propeller poweredSycamore seeds are amongthe heaviest to ride on the

wind. Their shape workslike a helicopter rotor,

spinning round in the breeze so the seeds travel further.

The

wind will carry theseseeds

form

anykilometres.

Blowing in the windA dandelion seed is so light it can be blown away by thewind, carried on its own fluffywhite parachute. A dandelionis not one flower, but is madeup of florets that each make a seed when pollinated. Oneplant can make up to 500 seeds.

All life on Earth depends on plants.Even those animals that just eatmeat, eat other animals who feed on plants. People have been growingplants for food for thousands of years.

On the menu

A cereal success storyWheat is the world’s most widely-grown plant,

found on every continent except Antarctica. It is a type of grass called a cereal, which means it has seeds that can be made into flour.This group also includes oats, maize, and rice.

Sweet seedsChocolate is made from

the seeds of a cocoa tree.The white seeds inside the pods are dried and groundinto cocoa powder, whichactually tastes quite bitter.

Herbs and spicesA herb is any plant with a non-woody stem, but what cooks callherbs are leaves or flowers of

certain, safe-to-eat plants.Spices, such as pepper,

are made from groundseeds or bark.

Spoilt for choiceA vegetable is a plant or partof a plant that is grown tobe eaten. This includesfruit, seeds, roots, andleaves, such as beans(seeds) and carrots(roots). But there is no one plantthat we can eat every part of.

23

Sharp tasteAnts live inside the thorns of acaciatrees, safe from predators. In return,they protect the tree by biting thetongues of animals eating the tree.

The tree’s spiky thorns donot stop the giraffe fromhaving a good chew.

Plants have many ways to defend themselves from beingtrampled or eaten. Some have built-in protection, such asthorns. Other plants might form a partnership with animals.

They can’t run away from predators!

Plant protection

25

Prickly customerWoody thorns line thestems of brambles and roses.They can get tangled in animalfur and give a painful scratch

to anyone that comes too near.

Double defenceTeasels are well preparedfor attack. Insects climbing

up the stem will find spines,but if they head back down, they

will drown in a leaf moat. This isthe dip where two leaves meet, which

fills with water when it rains.

Nasty nettlesStings are not like thorns. They are

a type of hair that contain poison.When a predator brushesagainst the nettle, the stingstabs them, snaps off, andreleases the poison. Ouch!

Spot the plantHidden among the

stones in African desertsare small, round plants.They have dull patternsthat act as camouflage.You can see why they’re

called pebble plants.

Spines, calledbracts, protectthe flower.

Water collects here andinsects can’t climb out.

26

Tree typesAll trees fit into one of threecategories, which are based onthe shape of their leaves. They arebroadleaved, needle-leaved, and palm.

Growth ringsA tree grows by adding alayer of cells around its trunk.One layer is added every year.You can tell how old a treewas by counting the numberof growth rings inside the trunk.

Broadleaved treeshave a variety of leafshapes. Oak leavesare lobed, whichmeans they haverounded points.

Out for the summerBroadleaved trees have flat,broad leaves. Most trees ofthis kind are deciduous. Thismeans their leaves die in thewinter and fall off.

Barkis the dead cells of the tree trunk.

The world’sbiggest leavesbelong to palmtrees. Raffia palmleaves can grow to 20 m (65 ft).

Give us a handA palm tree’s canopy –its branches and leaves –looks like a hand, withthe leaves spreading outlike fingers. There aremore than 3000 speciesof palm, mostly found in tropical places.

Small, toughleaves canstand up to thecold weather.

Green all yearNeedle-leaved trees,such as pines and firs,are known as coniferousbecause they make seedsinside cones. They arealso called evergreensbecause they keep theirleaves in winter.

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Going battyBats’ favourite roosts

are in dark, hiddenplaces where they canshelter during the daytime.Hollows inside tree trunksand rotten boughs are ideal.In some countries, batsprefer to live in trees.

The oak tree holds theEuropean record for the mostnumber of animals living in atree. It is home to

•30 species of birds

•200 species of moths

•thousands of insects

Tree house facts

Tree house

Bed and breakfastAn oak tree produces 90,000 acorns ayear. They are eaten by forest animals,but wood pigeons are the greediest: theycan stuff 70 acorns into their throat.

Look closely at a matureEuropean oak tree and you will find an amazing array ofanimals making their homesthere. For some, food is alsoprovided in the form of acorns.

Nursery foodA female acorn weevil usesher long snout to drill into anacorn before laying her eggsinside. When they hatch, the babies, or larvae, feed on the acorn.

Rabbit runDown among the roots of theoak, there is a network ofunderground tunnels, whichform a rabbit warren.The soil here is easy to dig.

29

Bark galleryBark beetles gnaw tunnels,called galleries, below thesurface of the trunk. It isa safe place to lay eggs,but larvae can destroy atree by eating its wood.

Home to roostOwls do not build nests in

tree canopies like other birds,but roost inside the trunk.Living in a forest with otheranimals around means theycan find lots of prey to eat.

Not all plants create theirown food. Some are parasites,living off the food otherplants – called hosts – havemade. Epiphytes are not somean. They use other plants,but don’t take their nutrients.

Muscling in

Going up in the worldBromeliads are epiphytes. They growon tree trunks and branches so theycan be carried up to the sunlight

as the tree grows. If these smallplants stayed on the forest

floor, they would diefrom lack of light.

Big stinkerThe world’s largest flower is a parasite.Rafflesia is 1 m (3 ft) wide and feeds offrainforest vines. It attracts pollinatorswith its stink of rotting meat.

Branching outMistletoe is a lazy plant. It hasleaves that can make their ownfood, but doesn’t use them much.Instead, it sends roots down into itshost’s branches and steals the sap.

Strangle holdStrangler figs are not parasites –they live off debris found in the

host tree. But as their roots descendthe host’s trunk, they block out the

sunlight and the host dies.

Deadly dodderOn the ground, dodderplant tendrils go huntingfor food. They wraparound the stems ofother plants and suck the life out of them.

The fig starts lifeas a seed landingon a branch, andsends down rootsas it grows.

The roots keepthe fig standingeven after the host has rotted away.

Mistletoe roots arecompletely blendedinto the tree branch.

Not all plants feed on sunlight andwater alone – some add meat to theirdiet to give them extra nutrients. There are four main ways meat-eating,or carnivorous, plants catchtheir prey.

Meat-eatersT

his o

ne

got away!

Digesting cellsWhen an insect has been

caught, glands on the inside of the trap get to work. Theyrelease a kind of acid thatstarts to digest the insect.

The insect insidethis Venus fly trapis being preparedfor lunch.

It’s a trap!Tiny hairs inside the

leaves of a Venus fly trap cansense when an insect has landed.

If two or more hairs are touchedtogether... SNAP! It slams shut.

32

There isno way a flycan free itselffrom the many sticky hairs.

Any bits of fly that the plantdoesn’t digest are left stuck to the leaf.

The pitcher’s walls are thin so theplant can absorb

the nutrientsfrom the

insects.

The bladderis full of hairs

that sense prey.

•Most carnivorous plants live in marshy areas where theearth alone does not provideenough nutrients.

•The biggest carnivorousplant – a kind of pitcher – hasvines up to 10 m (33 ft) long.It can catch frogs!

Meaty facts

Slippery pitchThe pitcher plant cancatch loads of insects insideits huge leaves. The insectscan’t climb out of the waxyleaves, and they drown inthe liquid at the bottom of the deep pit.

Sticky businessAn unfortunate fly lands for amoment on a sundew fly trap... andremains stuck fast. The leaves arecovered in sticky hairs that trap theinsect, ready for eating later.

The rim of thepitcher is colouredto attract insects –and slippery sothey fall in.

Tiny trapdoorsWhen prey floats past thisunderwater bladderwort, thebladders on the leaves quickly open,like a mouth, sucking the insectinside. It takes one-thousandth of a second to trap the prey.

Wat

chout!

The leafcurls aroundthe fly to bring

it towards thedigestion cells.

The sundew acts just like flypaper.

Climbing plants – also called creepers –grow by wrapping themselves around

supports. They are strong and can push their way into all sorts of places, sometimes

damaging the very thing that supports them.

Creepers and climbers

Reach outThis climbing plant hascurly tendrils growingfrom its stem. These actlike hands, reachingout for a surface towrap around. Tendrilsgrow straight but curlup so they can pull theplant upright.

Leaf climbersClematis plants use theirleaves to climb. The leafstalk twists around a thinsupport, such as a stem ofanother plant. The otherplant does all the hardwork of standing upright.

Curly tendrils on climbing plants

34

35

•Honeysuckle, a stemclimber, can kill trees bywrapping too tightly aroundthe trunk.

•Climbing roses aren’tactually climbers, they justlean on their supports andhang on using their thorns.

Climbing facts

Champion climberStem climbers, such as morningglory, can climb over anything.They are able to wrap their stemsaround larger objects than tendrilsor leaf stalks can, including tree trunks.

Getting a gripThese strange-looking fingers

growing from ivy stems are roots.They are slightly sticky and

can grip almost any surface.It is easy for ivy to coverwhole houses, worming its roots into the bricks.

can s t r - e - t - c h a long way.

All plant life started in the water with algae, thefirst plant family. Today, an incredible 85 per centof plants live in the oceans. They have specialfeatures to help them survive in water.

Water worlds

See the lightJust like land plants, algae

needs sunlight to make food. Algae can be red, yellow, green, orbrown; these colours detect sunlightat different depths in the sea.

Some algae are sotiny, 25 million canfit in a teaspoon!

Stuck on youThese slimy tubes areholdfasts. They keepa plant rooted in oneplace. But they arenot actually rootsbecause they do notabsorb nutrients.

Water of lifeSeaweed is a type of algae. It does not have roots, butabsorbs water and nutrientsthrough its fronds. It needs tostay covered in water – if itgets washed ashore, it will die.

37

Float on byFloaters such as water

hyacinths have roots thatare the opposite of

holdfasts. They arenot anchored to the

ground, but trail behindthe plant as it swims

along, picking up nutrients.

Through the surfaceEmergent plants, such as lilies,are rooted in a pond or river bed,but grow tall to poke throughthe surface of the water. Thisenables them to reach the light.

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME

The leaves of the Amazon water lily can grow to 1.8 m (6 ft) across. As well as being large, they aresurprisingly strong. This was discovered by JosephPaxton, an English gardener, about 150 years ago.He noticed the ribs underneath theleaves and tested their strength...by asking his daughter to sit on a leaf in the middle of a pond!

Water is hard to find in the desert, but when the rainscome, the plants are ready. They can take in lots ofwater in a short time, and store water for a long time.Plants that store water in their leaves or stems are called succulents.

On dry land

The word “cactus”comes from theGreek kaktos,which means“prickly plant”.

WATER STORAGE

Many cactus stems look like theyare creased. These deep ridgesshow clearly when the plant is dry.When the rains come, the ridgesexpand so the cactus has room totake in lots of water. Rather thanhaving leaves, a cactus has spinesgrowing from its stem. Theyprotect the fat, juicy plant frombeing eaten by animals that arelooking for a quick drink.

38

A flash of colourDeserts are not always dry.There is a short spring seasonthat brings heavy rains. Plantsthat live here are ready togerminate and flower veryquickly – the season lasts just three weeks.

Is it dead or alive?Not all plants store enough water to get through the dryseason. Dried resurrection plants curl into a ball, pull uptheir roots from the ground, and get blown by the wind toa place where they may find water and come back to life.

It’s full of waterJuicy, fleshy, waxy leaves are the sign ofmost succulents. This iswhere the plant storesits water. The waxycoating stops waterevaporating fromthe leaves.

Bottled waterThis funny-looking tree iscalled a pachypodium, which

means “thick foot”.Its bottle-shapedtrunk is fat andswollen with

stored water.

39

Keep your hair onThe hairy white spines of these cacti reflect thestrong heat of the desertsun. This built-in sunscreenstops the plant drying out.

Welcome to the mountains. Plants that livehere have developed ways to cope with coldtemperatures, snow, high winds, and strongsunlight. From warm coats to heated buds,these plants know how to protect themselves.

Cold climate

A snug coatMany cold-climate plants have small leaves,because large leaves lose

heat more quickly. Edelweissleaves are also covered inhairs, which act like a warmcoat in the open mountains. A miniature ice breaker

Some plants try to beat the weather byflowering early. Alpine snowbells lyingunder snow heat the tips of their buds.This melts the snow so they can pushthrough to the surface to flower.

40

A bad hair day?Saussurea plants have taken theidea of a fur coat to the extreme.The pink fluff is not its flower, buthair on the leaves. On some plantshair reflects the harsh sunlight,stopping it from burning the plant.

Don’t sit on me!Alpine plants grow low to the ground to avoidferocious winds. Some, called cushion plants,even grow huddled together for warmth. Theylook like huge pillows scattered on the ground.Up to a million plants can grow in one clump.

Springtime is short, so flowers don’t have much time for pollination.

I’m over hereAlpine flowers are brightlycoloured and quite large.There are not many insects inthis cold area, so the flowersneed to show off in order toattract their pollinators.

41

Bamboo bountyBamboo is possibly the most useful plant of all, and is especially popular in Asia. Itsstrong, tube-shaped stems have dozens ofuses, from furniture and water pipes to hats.

On a rollImagine a world with no paper. No books,boxes, or even tissues, which are all madefrom mashed-up wood chips. If you grew atree to make the amount of paper you usedevery year, it would be 30 m (100 ft) tall.

Use it all upThis entire house has

been made from palmtrees. The trunk gives

timber for the frameand walls, andthe leaves are

used as thatch.Palm fruit, coconut, is also used for food,milk, and oil. Eventhe hair on thecoconut shell isturned into mats.

Is your table made from wood, or areyour clothes made from cotton? Plantsprovide us with lots of everyday items,from the houses in which we live to the pages of this book.

Plant providers

Spin a yarnLinen is made from a plant called flax, oneof the first plants grown by people just tobe used. Flax fibres are spun to makethreads, which are woven into material.

42

43

A stripping taleA cork oak tree is strippedfor its cork bark. It willtake about seven years to regrow. Cork was first used by the ancient Greeks 2,500years ago asbottle stoppers.

These weird and wonderful plantsare some of the oldest or smelliestplants in the world. This is quite anachievement when there are over400,000 species to choose from!

Strange but true

A late developerBelieve it or not, this12 m- (40 ft-) tall plantis a herb! It holds therecord for being theslowest-flowering plant.It takes 150 years toflower, but after allthat effort, it dies.

It’s one big stinkerThe smelliest flower of all is thecorpse flower, a kind of lily thatgrows in rainforests in Indonesia.Its “perfume” of rotting meat canbe smelt a kilometre away.

Strange facts

•There is one plant thatgrows so fast you can hear itcreaking! Giant bamboo cangrow 1 m (3 ft) each day.

•The biggest seed in theworld is the coco-de-mer. Itweighs up to 20 kg (45 lb), thesame as a six-year-old girl.

Turn left at the treeGiant sequoias are theworld’s biggest trees. In someCalifornian parks, the treesare so wide that they haveroads cut though them.

Oh so rareIn the 1800s, theLady’s slipper orchid

was picked almost to extinction. Just one

plant was left in the wild.Fortunately, scientists have

been able to use its seeds to plant more.

Keep on twistingThe weirdest plant of all is found in the Namibian desert. It has justtwo leaves that are dry and woody,but they never stop growing so they end up all twisted.

Old and gnarledThe oldest treethought to be stillalive is a bristlecone pine. It is almost 5,000 years old,but, because they grow indry places, even youngones look wrinkled!

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Anther the part of a flowerthat makes pollen.

Blade the flat surface of a leaf,which is used to catch sunlightfor photosynthesis.

Burr a seed with a sticky orspiky case.

Canopy the branches andleaves of a tree.

Carnivore an animal or plantthat eats meat.

Chlorophyll the green chemicalin a leaf that absorbs sunlight tomake food.

Epiphyte a plant that grows onanother plant, but does not takeits food or water.

Floret a small flower thatmakes up part of a larger flower.

Flower the part of a plant thatmakes seeds and fruit.

Fruit the part of a plant thatprotects fertilized seeds.

Germinate when a seed startsto grow into a plant.

Glucose the sugary food a plantmakes for itself duringphotosynthesis.

GlossaryHere are the meanings of some words it is useful to know

when you are learning about plants.

Leaf the part of a plant thatmakes food.

Leaflet a small leaf that is partof a compound leaf.

Minerals substances that arefound naturally in soil, which aplant needs to grow.

Nectar sweet syrup that flowersmake to attract pollinators.

Nectar guides patterns onflowers that guide insectstowards the nectar.

Nutrients the useful bits foundin food, which animals andplants need to stay healthy.

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Ovary the part of a flower thathouses the seeds.

Parasite a plant that takes thefood and water of another plant.

Photosynthesis the way that a plant makes its own food,using sunlight, water, andcarbon dioxide.

Pollen very fine grains that aplant uses to start reproduction.

Pollination the process ofmoving pollen from one flowerto another in order to reproduce.

Predator an animal that huntsplants or other animals for food.

Proboscis the long nose of aninsect, which can reach intoflowers to suck up nectar.

Reproduction how a plant oranimal makes another plant oranimals, using seeds or eggs.

Respiration how living thingsturn food into energy, usingoxygen.

Root the part of a plant thatgrows underground, anchoringthe plant and taking in waterand minerals.

Runner a plant stem that runsalong the ground and growsnew plants by sending out roots.

Seed a case that containseverything needed to grow a new plant, plus food.

Shoot any part of a plant thatgrows above the ground.

Species a group of animals orplants that share the samefeatures, and can breed witheach other.

Spore the “seed” of a non-flowering plant.

Stem usually the main part of a plant, on which leaves grow.Stems carry water and foodaround the plant.

Stigma the part of a flower that receives pollen duringpollination.

Stomata tiny pores in a leafthat open to let gases pass inand out.

Succulent plants that storewater in their leaves or stems.

Tendril the part of a stem thatsome climbing plants use toreach out for supports.

Tuber part of a root that hasbecome a food store for theplant. It is usually lumpy.

Vegetable a plant or part of aplant that we can eat. Manyvegetables are actually fruit.

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Dorling Kindersley would like to thank:Janet Allis for additional artworks, Caroline Bingham for editorialassistance and Jacqueline Gooden for design assistance.

Acknowledgements

Picture credits

Algae 4, 36Animals 4, 16-17,

18, 20, 24, 28-29, 33

Anthers 5, 14

Bamboo 42, 45Bark 22, 26, 29, 43Bee 14-15, 16Birds 16, 19, 28, 29Bulb 8

Cacti 10, 38, 39Camouflage 25Carnivorous plants

32-33Chlorophyll 11, 12Climbers 34-35Cushion plants 41

Epiphyte 30-31

Fern 5, 19Flax 17, 42Flower 4, 14, 15, 39,

40-41, 44Food 18, 19, 22-23, 42

Fruit 18, 19, 22Fungi 4, 5, 42

Grasses (cereals) 9, 22

Hair 39, 40, 41Herb 22, 44

Insects 14-15, 16, 28-29, 32-33

Leaves 4, 6, 10-11, 12-13, 34, 39, 40, 41, 45

Lily 37, 44

Mistletoe 31

Nectar 14, 15, 16, 17Nutrients 6, 7, 8, 30,

32, 33, 36, 37

Oak tree 26, 28-29, 43

Palm tree 11, 27, 42Parasite 30-31Photosynthesis 4, 12-13Pine tree 10, 19, 26-27,

45Pollen 15, 17Pollination 14-15,

16-17, 41Predator 24-25

Rafflesia 30Respiration 12-13Root 4, 6-7, 8-9, 35,

36, 37 Runner 19

Seed 6-7, 18-19, 20-21, 22, 23, 45

Smell 16, 30, 44Spore 5, 19Stem 4, 6, 35, 38Sting 23Stomata 12, 13Strangler fig 31Succulents 38-39Sunflower 18-19Sunlight 4, 7, 12, 30,

32, 39, 41

Tendril 34-35Thorn 22, 23Tree 8, 9, 10, 11,

26-27, 28-29, 30, 31, 42-43, 45

Tuber 19

Vegetable 23Venus fly trap 32

Water 4, 6, 7, 12, 33, 36-37, 38, 39

Index

The publisher would like to thank the following for their kindpermission to reproduce their photographs:

Key: a-above; c-centre; b-below; l-left; r-right; t-top

Alamy Images: Daniel Jenkins 21tl; David Boag 21br; DavidWootton 30br; Jacques Jangoux 5br; Peter Haigh 45r. Ardea.com:Jason Mason 25ca. Corbis: Anders Ryman 42cra; Brian AVikander 24l; Brian Knox; Papilio 40cr; Charles O'Rear 43; CraigTuttle 27r, 40-41; Doug Wilson 26-27tc; Douglas Peebles 8l; GalenRowell 36cr, 44l; Geray Sweeney 42tl; Hal Horwitz 31tc, 45cl;Kevin Schafer 31r; L. Clarke 12-13; Larry Lee Photography 11c;Lester Lefkowitz 42br; Marin Harvey; Gallo Images 4cr; Michael &Patricia Fogden 39r; Michael Pole 8c; Michael T. Sedam 18l; Paul

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Almasy 26-27c; Peter Johnson 45b; Ralph A. Clevenger 36l; RandyWells 22cr; Reuters 44cr; Robert Holmes 45tl; Robert van der Hilst22tl; Rocardo Azoury 30l; Sally A. Morgan/Ecoscene 19tl; TerryW. Eggers 26l; W. Perry Conway 32br. Garden Picture Library:Dennis Davis 41tl. Garden World Images: 1. Getty Images: Giel20br; Simon Battensby 4cra; Steve Satushek 10-11; Stuart Dee 23.ImageState: Brand X Pictures 38. Nature Picture Library Ltd:Jason Smalley 28-29; Kevin J Keatley 29cl; Nigel Bean 28cl;Sharon Heald 39cl. N.H.P.A.: Daniel Heuclin 39tl, 39tc; GeorgeBernard 7cr; Kevin Schafer 9; Laurie Campbell 25cl; TrevorMcDonald 21cl. Oxford Scientific Films: 16tr, 20cr, 20l, 24crb,28tr, 41tr; Bert & Babs Wells 17bl; Gordon Maclean 15b; KonradWothe 7tr; Michael Fogden 16bl; Robin Bush 17r; SatoshiKuribayashi 20tl, 20cla, 20cl. Science Photo Library: AndrewSyred 12cb, 13br, 32cb; Astrid & Hanns-Frieder Michler 8bl; B.WHoffmann/Agstock 6-7; Claude Nuridsany & Marie Perennou 14tr,14ca, 16cl, 16clb, 33bl; Dan Suzio 3r; David Nunuk 37b; DrJeremy Burgess 34-35; Eye of Science 33cb; Gusto 10cl; James H.Robinson 15tl; Jan Hinsch 36c; John Durham 13br; PSUEntomology 15tr; Sinclair Stammers 35cb. Still Pictures: MarkusDlouhy 40l. Zefa Visual Media: Masterfile/R. Ian Lloyd 42bl.

All other images © Dorling Kindersley www.dkimages.com