Plantlets - Plant Science - Lecture Slides, Slides of Biology

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PLANTLETS

INTRODUCTION

• A plantlet is a tiny version of a plant still attached somewhere to its parent plant
• The plantlets obtain food from the parent plant until they are established

1. PRODUCTION OF

PLANTLETS FROM RUNNERS

• Some types of plants produce plantlets at the end of ‘horizontal’ stems called runners.

Spider plant

PRODUCTION OF PLANTLETS

FROM RUNNERS

2. PRODUCTION OF LEAF

PLANTLETS

• Some types of plant develop plantlets on the edges of mature leaves
• These can be detached from the leaf and grown in small pots of compost
• An example of this is the Mexican Hat plant

• In other plants, a plantlet develops at the base of each mature leaf where it meets the leaf stalk.
• An example of this is the Piggy-Back plant

Piggyback Plant

Mother-In-

Law’s

Tongue

Plant

METHODS OF PROPAGATING

OFFSETS

• A plant with offsets can be propagated by division
• This means separating the offsets from the parent, normally using a sharp knife
• The offsets can then be planted in new locations

Advantages of Vegetative

Propagation

• Exact copies of parent plants can be produced in most cases
• Often simple and relatively quick
• Large plants can sometimes be produced in a short period of time
• Good quality and uniformity among plants produced

Disadvantages of Vegetative

Propagation

• All offspring share common susceptibility to disease
• Not suitable if variation is desired