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A BOTANISTBOTANIST is a scientist who studies plants!

Mosses are one group of plants andare considered to be very simple.

Mosses have NO true roots, stems or leaves andmust live near water or in moist areas.

These are Mosses!These are Mosses!

Have you ever wondered about the soil?

Take some time to learn aboutthe soil in your area.

Soil comes in many differentkinds and each one varies withthe rocks below, the amount ofrain, the climate, and the kinds

of plants growing

Check out what’s below your feet!

Look at the Horsetails!

Check out these ferns!

Millions of years ago, the earth was

covered with jungles. These jungles were filled with plants. One of the most common plants in these jungles was the FERN.

When these ferns died,they fell onto the jungle ground.

Here, the leafy fronds and stemsbegan to rot.

The rotting ferns were coveredin layers of mud and rock.

As many million years passed,these squished layers of rotting fern

became COAL!

Take a look at this plant!

It is called a fern!

Ferns have fronds made of tiny leaflets.

Turn your frond over and observe the spore cases!

You might even get lucky and spota FIDDLE-HEAD on the fern plant.

Horsetails and ferns belong to another group

of plants.

This plant group has trueleaves, roots and stems.

These are the groupof plants calledevergreens orconifers!

See the scales of this cone from along needle pine tree.

Check out thecones in thisevergreen!

Ouch! This branch is broken and the...

leaks out!!!

Trees take up water and nutrients from the soil throughthe roots all the way up to the leaves.

Sap (water, sugar and other nutrients) runs through the stem to all parts of the tree.

Sap may be stored in the roots or trunk during thewinter months and in early spring begins travelingto the developing buds and leaves.

There are many different leaves,from needles on the pine trees tolong slender leaves like these...

Ginkgo Leaf

Ginkgoes leaves are sometimes called

living fossils.

These tree leaves havenot changed verymuch in millions

of years.

Fossils of ginkgo leaveswere preserved mud thathardened into rock over

millions of years.

Fossils form insedimentary rock such aslimestone and sandstone.

Some leaves change color.Note the changes in color!

Some plants produce flowers!

Flowers attract pollinators!

After this plant is pollinated,the flower will protect the

developing seed.

Seeds grow within the wallsof this flower. And sometimes

these walls...

...Become thick, juicy, and fleshy!

Can you guess what kind of fruitthese flowers will protect?

Some plants look all fuzzy!

Some plants are fragile and small!

I really like the fuzzy plants!

Other kinds of plantsare Prickly!

Some plants are so prickly that their pricked parts will stick to your pants

if you brush up against them!

Imagine what would stick to your pantsif you ran through this field of plants!

Some plants are Itchy!

Producing Oilsthat cause rashesand burns on our skin.

Some ivy plants seem to grow anywhere and in

every direction!

Some plants are thought of as weeds!

Dandelions havea very long tap

root system whichgrows deep into

the soil!

Maybe this weed is NOT so bad!

Have you ever tried:dandelion tea,

dandelion salad,dandelion coffee?

My favorite are the dandelions’

parachute seeds!

The Green Machines or Plants are able to

Sunlight Energy!

The more complex plantshave leaves.

Leaves are the energy factoriesof the plant, using sunlight,

carbon dioxide from air,and water to transform light

energy into food energy.

Use the energy from sunlightto transform carbon dioxide and water

into food energy like...

…spinach whichis high

in protein!

..or sugar which ismade when

sunlight energytransforms

carbon dioxide and water.

I wonder how muchof the sun’s energy

was at work to makethe food energy stored

in this pumpkin?

Plant POWER