Plants, POA-ROS
Life on Earth owes much to plants. The vast majority of plants carry out photosynthesis to transform light energy into chemical energy, which is the way that virtually all energy in the biosphere becomes available to living things (including us humans). Plants occupy the base of Earth's food webs and are consumed directly or indirectly by all higher life-forms, thereby functioning as the major source of food for humans and other animals. Plants' photosynthetic activity also produces the air that we breathe: almost all the oxygen in the atmosphere is due to the process of photosynthesis. Still not convinced about the merits of plants? Consider the fact that many plants not only serve up crucial nutrients and breathable air but also look good doing it. Many plants are admired for their striking aesthetic qualities, and flowers such as tulips, lilies, sunflowers, and daisies beautify fields, gardens, windowsills, and bouquets the world over. Plants are also a primary source of consumer goods, such as building materials, textile fibers, and pharmaceuticals.
Plants Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Poaceae, grass family of monocotyledonous flowering plants, a division of the order Poales. The Poaceae are the......
Poales, grass order of flowering plants, containing the grass family (Poaceae), economically the most important......
Podocarpaceae, family of 17 or more genera and 125–165 species of conifers (division Pinophyta, order Pinales),......
Podostemaceae, riverweed family of dicotyledonous flowering plants in the order Malpighiales, with 48 genera and......
Pogonia, genus of two species of terrestrial orchids (family Orchidaceae) native to temperate zones of Asia and......
poinsettia, (Euphorbia pulcherrima), well-known member of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), commonly sold as an......
poison hemlock, (Conium maculatum), poisonous herbaceous plant of the parsley family (Apiaceae). Poison hemlock......
poison ivy, (Toxicodendron radicans), poisonous vine or shrub of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae), native to eastern......
poison oak, either of two species of poisonous plants of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae), native to North America.......
poison sumac, (Toxicodendron vernix), poisonous shrub or small tree of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae), native......
pokeweed, (Phytolacca americana), strong-smelling plant with a poisonous root resembling that of a horseradish.......
Polemoniaceae, the phlox family of plants, comprising about 18 genera and some 385 species of flowering plants......
pollarding, cutting of top tree branches back to the trunk, leaving club-headed stems that grow a thick head of......
pollen, a mass of microspores in a seed plant appearing usually as a fine dust. Each pollen grain is a minute body,......
pollination, transfer of pollen grains from the stamens (the flower parts that produce them) to the ovule-bearing......
Polypodiaceae, family (including Grammitidaceae) in the order Polypodiales, which contains 56 genera and about......
pomegranate, (Punica granatum), bush or small tree of the family Lythraceae and its fruit. The juicy arils of the......
ponderosa pine, (Pinus ponderosa), species of large, North Americapine tree noted for its soft, easily worked wood.......
pondweed, any of numerous cosmopolitan freshwater plants sometimes grown in ponds or aquariums. They belong to......
poplar, (genus Populus), genus of some 35 species of trees in the willow family (Salicaceae), native to the Northern......
poppy, any of several flowering plants of the poppy family (Papaveraceae), especially species of the genus Papaver.......
Portulacaceae, the purslane family of flowering plants, in the order Caryophyllales, with about 15 genera and 500......
potato, (Solanum tuberosum), annual plant in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), grown for its starchy edible tubers.......
pothos, (Epipremnum aureum), hardy indoor foliage plant of the arum family (Araceae) native to southeastern Asia.......
prayer plant, (Maranta leuconeura), flowering plant of the family Marantaceae, native to the New World tropics.......
prefern, any of a group of extinct plants considered transitional between the first land plants, the psilophytes,......
prickly ash, (genus Zanthoxylum), genus of about 200 species of aromatic trees and shrubs of the rue family (Rutaceae),......
prickly pear, any of several species of flat-stemmed spiny cacti of the genus Opuntia (family Cactaceae) and their......
prickly poppy, (genus Argemone), genus of approximately 30 species of North American and West Indian plants (one......
primavera, (species Cybistax donnel-smithii), timber tree of Central America with brilliant yellow flowers, or......
primrose, flowering plants of the genus Primula of the family Primulaceae, with 490–600 species, chiefly occurring......
Primulaceae, the primrose family, of the order Ericales, containing 58 genera and nearly 2,600 species of flowering......
privet, any of about 40 to 50 species of shrubs and small trees belonging to the genus Ligustrum of the family......
Proteales, the protea order of eudicotyledonous flowering plants, with 4 families, about 85 genera, and nearly......
Prunus, genus of more than 400 species of flowering shrubs and trees in the rose family (Rosaceae). The genus Prunus......
Pteridaceae, the maidenhair fern family (order Polypodiales), containing about 50 genera and approximately 950......
pteropsid, any of a group of vascular plants (tracheophytes) that includes ferns, extinct seed ferns, gymnosperms......
Pterostyrax, genus of about four species of deciduous trees or shrubs, of the storax family (Styracaceae), native......
puccoon, any of several plants formerly used by certain North American Indians for dyes derived from the roots,......
pummelo, (Citrus maxima), citrus tree of the family Rutaceae, grown for its large sweet fruits. It is native to......
pumpkin, fruit of certain varieties of squash—such as varieties of Cucurbita pepo, C. moschata, and C. maxima—in......
purple passion fruit, (Passiflora edulis), species of passion flower (family Passifloraceae) and its edible fruit.......
purslane, any of certain small, fleshy annual plants of the genus Portulaca (40–100 species), of the family Portulacaceae.......
pussy willow, any willow having large, cylindrical, silky catkins, specifically the species Salix caprea. See...
pussy-toes, any of several species of low-growing, gray-white, wooly plants of a genus (Antennaria) in the aster......
Puya, genus of South American plants of the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae) that contains about 200 species, including......
pyrethrum, any of certain plant species of the aster family (Asteraceae) whose aromatic flower heads, when powdered,......
quack grass, (Elymus repens), rapidly spreading grass of the family Poaceae. Quack grass is native to Europe and......
quaking grass, (genus Briza), genus of four species of slender annual or perennial grasses in the family Poaceae,......
quandong, (Santalum acuminatum), small hemiparasitic tree of the sandalwood family (Santalaceae), useful for its......
Queen Anne’s lace, (Daucus carota carota), biennial subspecies of plant in the parsley family (Apiaceae) that is......
quercitron bark, inner bark of the black oak, Quercus velutina, which contains a colouring matter used to dye wool......
quillwort, (family Isoetaceae), family of about 250 species of seedless vascular plants of the order Isoetales.......
quince, (Cydonia oblonga), a small tree or shrub of the rose family (Rosaceae), grown for its edible fruit. Quince......
quinoa, (Chenopodium quinoa), plant species grown for its tiny edible seeds. Quinoa is not a true cereal, and its......
radish, (Raphanus sativus), annual or biennial plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae), grown for its large......
rafflesia, (genus Rafflesia), genus of about 42 species of parasitic plants native to Southeast Asia. All Rafflesia......
Rafflesiaceae, flowering plant family notable for being strictly parasitic upon the roots or stems of other plants......
ragweed, (genus Ambrosia), genus of about 40 species of weedy plants in the aster family (Asteraceae). Most species......
raisin tree, (species Hovenia dulcis), shrub or tree, of the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae), native to East Asia......
rambutan, (Nephelium lappaceum), tree of the soapberry family (Sapindaceae). It is native to Malaysia, where it......
ramie, (Boehmeria nivea), fibre-yielding plant of the nettle family (Urticaceae) and its bast fibre, native to......
rampion, any member of the genus Phyteuma, of the bellflower family (Campanulaceae), consisting of about 40 species......
Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family (order Ranunculales), comprising about 2,252 species in 62 genera of flowering......
Ranunculales, the buttercup order of flowering plants, containing 7 families, nearly 164 genera, and around 2,830......
rapeseed, (Brassica napus, variety napus), plant of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) grown for its seeds, which......
Explore other Botanize! episodes and read about conservation and endangered species. Melissa Petruzzello: Welcome......
raspberry, bramble fruit of the genus Rubus (family Rosaceae). Raspberries are an economically significant crop......
Rauvolfia, genus of plants in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), with 110 species of shrubs and trees native to......
red cedar, common name for many evergreen trees of the cypress family (Cupressaceae), especially western red cedar......
red maple, (Acer rubrum), large, irregularly narrow tree of the soapberry family (Sapindaceae), cultivated for......
red oak, any member of a group or subgenus (Erythrobalanus) of North American ornamental and timber shrubs and......
redbud, (genus Cercis), any of a genus of 10 species of shrubs to small trees in the pea family (Fabaceae), native......
redwood, any of three species of large trees in the cypress family (Cupressaceae). See coast redwood, dawn redwood,......
reed, in botany, any of several species of large aquatic grasses, especially the four species constituting the......
rein orchid, (genus Platanthera), genus of about 100 species of terrestrial orchids (family Orchidaceae) found......
plant reproductive system, any of the systems, sexual or asexual, by which plants reproduce. In plants, as in animals,......
- Introduction
- Cells, Pollination, Fertilization
- Bryophyte, Gametophyte, Sporophyte
- Mosses, Gametophytes, Sporophytes
- Lycopsids, Pollination, Fertilization
- Seeds, Pollination, Fertilization
- Gymnosperms, Pollination, Seeds
- Angiosperms, Pollination, Fertilization
- Pollination, Fertilization, Reproductive Structures
Rhipsalis, cactus genus of about 39 epiphytic species (family Cactaceae), native to tropical and subtropical America......
rhododendron, (genus Rhododendron), diverse genus of about 1,000 species of woody flowering plants in the heath......
rhodora, (Rhododendron canadense), deciduous shrub of the heath family (Ericaceae), native to northeastern North......
rhubarb, (Rheum rhabarbarum), a hardy perennial of the smartweed family (Polygonaceae) native to Asia and grown......
Rhynie plant, rootless, leafless, spore-bearing plant preserved in the Rhynie Chert, a mineral deposit that has......
ribes, (genus Ribes), genus of some 150 to 200 species of shrubs of two distinct groups, the currants and the gooseberries,......
Riccia, genus of liverworts (small, creeping plants) in the order Marchantiales, widely distributed throughout......
rice, (Oryza sativa), edible starchy cereal grain and the grass plant (family Poaceae) by which it is produced.......
rice-paper plant, (species Tetrapanax papyriferum), shrub or small tree of the ginseng family (Araliaceae), native......
rimu, (Dacrydium cupressinum), coniferous timber tree of the family Podocarpaceae, native to New Zealand. The rimu......
river birch, (Betula nigra), ornamental tree of the family Betulaceae, found on river and stream banks in the eastern......
Sir Robert Robinson was a British chemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1947 for his research......
rock cress, (genus Arabis), genus of some 120 species of herbs belonging to the mustard family (Brassicaceae),......
rock rose, (Cistus), any of a genus of 18 species of low to medium-sized shrubs, in the rock rose family (Cistaceae),......
rocket, (genus Sisymbrium), genus of 90 species of plants of the mustard family (Brassicaceae). Rockets are often......
Rollinia, genus of 65 tropical American trees and shrubs belonging to the family Annonaceae (order Magnoliales).......
root, in botany, that part of a vascular plant normally underground. Its primary functions are anchorage of the......
root vegetable, in cuisine and nutrition, a part of a plant grown underground and eaten as food. Root vegetables......
Rosaceae, the rose family of flowering plants (order Rosales), composed of some 2,500 species in more than 90 genera.......
Rosales, the rose order of dicotyledonous flowering plants, containing 9 families, 261 genera, and more than 7,700......
rose, (genus Rosa), genus of some 100 species of perennial shrubs in the rose family (Rosaceae). Roses are native......
rose moss, (Rhodobryum roseum; formerly Bryum roseum), moss of the subclass Bryidae, found throughout most of the......
rose of Jericho, either of two species of unrelated plants known for their ability to survive dessication. The......