8 Adaptations in Plants

Expected Learning Outcomes

Knowledge to be gained : • Types of plants • Some non-green plants • Unusual but amazingly
interes ng plants • Useful plants
Skill to be developed : • Iden fying where a tree may grow by looking at its leaves.
A tude to be inculcated : • We are all dependant on each other.
Plants grow almost everywhere. ey grow on mountain
slopes, on ocean beds, in plains, in deserts and in river
valleys. Plants that grow in one region are generally different
from those that grow in another region.
e temperature, amount of rainfall and the type of soil
differ from one region to another. erefore, only the plants
that can adapt to the environment of a region grow there.
Have you ever wondered why leaves in a cactus plant are
reduced to spines? Why plants growing in hilly areas are tall
and most of them have needle-shaped leaves? Why do some
plants oat on water while others are submerged in it?
Plants have developed different features in order to survive
in different places. e special features that allow an
organism to live in a particular area are known as
adaptations. For example, cactus plant is adapted to live in
deserts. at is why its leaves are reduced to spines. In this
chapter, we will discuss about different adaptations in
plants.

TYPES OF PLANTS
Plants can be placed under two major types:
Plants differ greatly
(i) Terrestrial Plants (ii) Aquatic Plants
in different habitats
TERRESTRIAL PLANTS
Plants that grow on land are called terrestrial plants ('terrestrial' means 'of the Earth').
ere are different types of terrestrial plants, depending on the place they grow in. Let us
study about them.
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 Plants in Plains
Many types of plants grow in the plains. Trees that grow in plains may have several branches
and leaves. Many of these trees can survive in the hot months. They shed most of their leaves
in autumn. For example, banyan, neem, ashok, sheesham, mango, etc.
During summer, these trees are full of leaves. ey take full bene t of the sunlight to make
food and store them. e leaves also help the trees to lose water and stay cool during the hot
summers.
Trees which shed their
During winter, when there is not enough sunlight, Do leaves in autumn are
these trees shed their leaves. ey consume the food You ? known as deciduous
trees.
stored in their body. Know

Ashoka tree Neem tree Banyan tree

Plants in Deserts
Deserts are very hot and have very little rainfall. In
desert areas, only those plants which need very
little water can survive. Cactus, mesquite bush,
babool, keekar and date palm grow in deserts.
These plants have developed certain features that
help them to survive the severe conditions of the
Mesquite bush desert.
Ÿ ese plants either don't have any leaves or have very few of them. Photosynthesis is
then carried out by the green stems.
Ÿ ey have thorns instead of leaves, to reduce the loss of water.
Ÿ ey store water in the stem. erefore, it becomes eshy.

Plants in Hills
Trees growing in cold hilly areas or mountains adapt themselves to survive in cold conditions.
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Trees growing on hills are usually tall, straight, and have a cone shape, so that snow can
easily slide off their leaves. They are usually flowerless and have cones with seeds inside
them. The leaves have a waxy coating to prevent any damage from snow. Some examples are
spruce, deodar and fir. Besides trees, small flowerless plants like ferns, mosses and lichens
also grow here.
Plants in Marshy Areas
Places where the soil is very sticky and clayey, are called marshy areas. It becomes very
difficult for plants to grow here, because air is unable to reach the roots. Hence plants that
grow here, (e.g., mangroves) give out breathing roots to absorb air. e roots of mangroves
grow out of the soil and water. ese breathing roots stick out of the water and have pores
(holes) in them for exchange of gases.
Rhizophore, sundari and tamarind are some other examples.

Deodar Fir Mangroves

Plants in Areas of Heavy Rainfall
ese plants have lots of leaves and they remain green almost all the year round. ese are
called evergreen trees. For example, teak, rubber, cashewnut, etc.
ese trees keep replacing their leaves throughout the year. ey also appear to be green
throughout the year.

Teak Rubber Cashewnut

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 Plants in Coastal Areas
Plants such as the coconut, grow in coastal areas
because they can survive in salty water and prefer
areas of high rainfall. ey have to adapt to strong
winds, sandy soil, hot sun and very high humidity
in the air. e seeds of such plants are scattered by
water.

CHECK YOURSELF
A. Tick (3) the correct option:
1. Cactus plant is adapted to live in:
(a) rivers (b) seas (c) deserts
2. Plants in plains, shed most of their leaves in:
(a) autumn (b) winter (c) summer
3. Which of these is an example of an evergreen plant?
(a) Mango (b) Teak (c) Cactus

AQUATIC PLANTS
Plants that grow in water are known as aquatic plants.
ey are of three types—Fixed plants, Floating plants and Underwater plants.
Fixed Aquatic Plants
Plants such as water lily and lotus have their
roots xed to the bottom of the pond. ey have
thin, long and hollow stems to reach the surface
of the water. Leaves of these plants are broad and
at with a waxy coating on the surface to prevent
Water lily Lotus them from rotting.
Floating Aquatic Plants
Duckweed and water hyacinth are oating
plants. Stems of these plants are light and
spongy so that they can oat on water.
Water Hyacinth Duckweed
Underwater Aquatic Plants
ese plants grow under the water surface and
have thin and narrow leaves, without any stomata.
e leaves absorb carbon dioxide and oxygen
directly through their surface. Hydrilla, tape grass
Hydrilla Tape Grass and pondweed are the common examples.
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Some Non-Green Plants
Some plants like mushrooms, toadstools,
fungi and moulds are non-green because
they do not have chlorophyll. Such plants
cannot make their own food and usually
absorb food from other plants. ey are
called parasitic plants. Morel Mushroom Mushroom

UNUSUAL BUT AMAZINGLY INTERESTING PLANTS

ere are some unusual plants like venus ytrap, sundew and pitcher plant which eat
insects. eir leaves are modi ed to capture insects. Such plants are called insectivorous
plants.

Venus flytrap Pitcher plant

In a pitcher plant, the leaf is modi ed into a pitcher-like
Insec vorous
structure. e leaf tip is modi ed to form a lid which can open
Do plants are green
and close the mouth of the pitcher. Once an insect enters the
pitcher, the lid closes and the insect gets trapped inside.
You ? and can carry out
photosynthesis.
Know

CHECK YOURSELF
Tick (3) the correct option:
1. How many types of aquatic plants are there?
(a)Two (b) Three (c) Four
2. Which of these is not a fixed plant?
(a) Water lily (b) Lotus (c) Duckweed
3. Which of these is an underwater plant?
(a) Hydrilla (b) Water hyacinth (c) Water lettuce

ADAPTATIONS FOR PROTECTION

Plants also adapt to protect themselves from outside prey.

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 Ÿ Poison: To protect themselves from
being eaten up by animals, some plants
such as poison ivy have poison in them. If
we touch their leaves it makes our skin itch.
Ÿ Spines: Plants like rose and cactus have
thorns on their body to protect themselves
from being eaten by animals.
Poison ivy
Ÿ Movement: e mimosa plant, commonly known as touch me not or
chhui mui, closes its leaves when touched. is scares the animals away.
USEFUL PLANTS
1. Generally, all animals depend on plants for food. We get fruits, oils, vegetables, sugar,
cereals, pulses, nuts, spices, etc., from plants. Tea, coffee and cocoa beans are also
obtained from plants.
2. Trunks of trees like sheesham, teak, sal, etc., give us wood for making furniture.
3. Many plants like tulsi, eucalyptus, neem, etc., give us medicines.
4. Plant bres like cotton and jute are used to make clothes, carpets, sacks, etc.
5. e juice of acacia (keekar) is used to make gum.
6. Stems of bamboo plant are used to make paper.
7. Vegetable oils, for soaps and shampoos, also come from plants
8. Paint also contains substances obtained from plants.

CHECK YOURSELF
Tick (3) the correct option:
1. The leaves of insectivorous plants are modified to capture:
(a) insects (b) water (c) fruits
2. Mosses and lichens are _______________ plants.
(a) big (b) flowerless (c) aquatic
3. Non-green plants do not have:
(a) chlorophyll (b) stem (c) roots

New words
Adapta on : ability to adjust to the surroundings
Terrestrial plants : plants that grow on land
Evergreen : trees that have green leaves throughout the year
Aqua c plants : plants that grow in water
Insec vorous plants : plants that eat insects
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 SUMMARY
v Generally, all animals depend on plants for food.
v The special features that allow an organism to live in a particular area are known as
adaptations.
v Plants that grow on land are called terrestrial plants.
v In desert areas, only those plants which need very little water can survive.
v The roots of mangroves grow out of soil and water.
v Plants that grow in water are known as aquatic plants.
v Duckweed and water hyacinth are floating plants.
v Plants that eat insects are called insectivorous plants.

Exercise
A. Name the following:
1. A tree growing on hills. ________________
2. A plant growing in desert areas. ________________
3. An insectivorous plant. ________________
4. A non-green plant. ________________
B. Select the best alternative for each of the following:
1. Which among the following is a non-green plant?
(i) Hydrilla (ii) Mushroom
(iii) Pitcher plant (iv) Oak
2. e stem of a cactus plant is:
(i) very thin (ii) woody
(iii) brown (iv) eshy
3. Underwater plants breathe through their body surface as they do not have:
(i) chlorophyll (ii) stomata
(iii) roots (iv) leaves
C. Cross out the wrong ones:
1. Cactus plant is adapted to live in deserts/oceans.
2. Terrestrial/Aquatic plants grow on land.
3. Duckweed and water hyacinth are fixed/floating/underwater plants.

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 D. Answer the following questions:
1. What is habitat?
2. What are evergreen plants?
3. What are the adaptations of plants that grow in plains?
4. How is a coconut tree adapted to grow in coastal areas?
5. Which plants provide us bres?
E. Fill in the blanks with the correct words:
1. ____________ is a carnivorous plant. (Pitcher plant/Acacia)
2. ____________ remains green almost throughout the year. (Teak/Fir)
3. Lotus is an ____________ plant. (aquatic/insectivorous)
4. Plants that grow on land are called ____________ plants. (aquatic/terrestrial)
5. e ____________ of cactus usually becomes green and carries out
photosynthesis. (leaf/stem)
6. ____________ tree grows on mountains. (Coconut/Spruce)
F. True or False:
1. Plants can make their own food. _________
2. Lotus and water lily are non-green plants. _________
3. Coconuts can grow very well in desert areas. _________
4. Fir is a cone-shaped tree that grows well on mountains. _________
5. Sundew and pitcher plants are insectivorous plants. _________
6. Cactus can grow very well in places with abundant water. _________
G. Match the following:
1. Paper (a) cinchona
2. Neem (b) deserts
3. Venus Flytrap plant (c) sheds its leaves once a year
4. Cactus (d) insects
5. Medicinal Plant (e) bamboo
H. Answer the following questions in your own words:
1. Why are some plants non-green? How do these plants get their food?
2. Write the three types of aquatic plants.
3. What are insectivorous plants?
4. How are mangroves suited to live in swampy areas?
5. How is the leaf of a pitcher plant modi ed to capture insects?
6. Differentiate between terrestrial and aquatic plants.
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 Activity Time
Class Project
Divide the class into four teams. Each team should take four different plants and their
seeds or seedlings. Each team can then choose a small space to plant these seeds or
seedlings in the ground. Each team will prepare a scrapbook on their plants.
Describe the parts–leaves, stem, ower, seeds and fruits (if any)–of your team's plant.
Draw pictures if needed. Does it show any special adaptation? Find out more about where
it grows best.

Let Us Visit
Nowadays, most of the families order food from
restaurants occasionally. Just like food prepared in
the leaves of a tree is transported throughout the
plant by the stem and branches, similarly, food
prepared in a restaurant is delivered to families
living in a locality through delivery boys.
Visit a restaurant with your parents to see how it
gets orders from customers (through phone calls or
mobile apps), how the chefs pack the food items
and how the delivery boys take them out for
delivery.

Be a young
Researcher
Water Hyacinth Weaving: e water hyacinth, found in
abundance in water bodies, is woven into a wide array of
products, from bags to yoga mats. e craft of water
hyacinth weaving has been providing a source of revenue to
thousands of artisans.
e raw substance is geared up by sun-drying its stems, and stems of 24-30 inches are
preferably chosen. ey are sun-dried for seven to eight days and then compressed to arrange
them for weaving. ese are then even woven in looms to make products like yoga mats.
Find out more about it and prepare a report.

FOOTNOTE
• Discuss about various kinds of plants and trees, especially those that grow in water.
• Bring a cross-section of lotus stem to show the air spaces to the children. You will find these at a vegetable seller's shop.
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