Plant which poduce characteristic pneumatophores and show vivipary belong to which category?
Plants that grow in swamps or tidal habitats face conditions that are extreme and not favourable for their growth and reproduction But these plants have devised ways and adapted themselves to survive in such extreme conditions. Terrestrial plants can simply take up oxygen from their stem ,leaves and roots directly from the air or from air pockets in the soil but wetland plantshave to adapt special ways to get oxygen. One such adaptation is developing special structures called pneumatophores .
Pneumatophores are modified roots that are negatively geographic meaning they grow upwards instead of growing down wards .Their main function is respiration and hence they are called respiratory roots
These modified roots are madeup of special soft tissue through which oxygen can travel within plants.They project above the mud and have small openings (lenticels) through which air enters, passing through the soft spongy aerenchyma tissue to the roots beneath the mud .Lenticels which are raised oval or elongated areas on stem and roots of such plants, appear on pneumatophores where the parenchyma cells increase in size by going through cell division and connect to the aerenchyma tissue below . Lenticel itself is made up porous tissue with cells that have large intercellular spaces between them .
Vivipary - Vivipary in plants is the term given to a unique way of reproduction wherein seeds or embryos begin to develop before they detach from the parent.
The plants which grow in wetlands and swamps face a problem in the dispersal of their seeds .The salinity of the surrounding water and soil damage the seeds. The flood too can destroy the seeds. The chances of survival of seeds are very less in such conditions if they are dispersed directly in the environment. Therefore, mangroves (Halophytes) show Vivipary. The seeds germinate and develop into seedlings while the seeds are still attached to the parent tree.which supplies water and necessary nutrients .
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