Plant Resources: Renewable and Non-Renewable

Plant Resources

• Plant resources can be categorized into renewable and non-renewable resources.
• Traditional uses and potentials of plants as sources of food, beverages, spices, essential oils, medicines, wood, fiber, natural products, alternative energy, and environmental sensors.

Vegetable Crops

• Vegetables are edible plants or plant parts eaten cooked or raw.

• Many plant parts are used as vegetables, including:

  • Soft stems, also known as succulent stems, have adapted to store water to help the plant survive in arid environments.
  • Leaves are the primary organs of photosynthesis and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, often serving as a defense mechanism against herbivores.
  • Flowers and inflorescence refer to the reproductive structures of plants, which involve the production of male and female reproductive organs, often attracting pollinators for fertilization.
  • Underground storage organs, such as tubers and rhizomes, serve as a storage depot for nutrients, allowing plants to survive during times of drought or harsh weather.
  • Fruits are the mature ovary of a plant, containing seeds, and often serve as a vehicle for seed dispersal, ensuring the plant's propagation.
  • Seeds and seedlings are the reproductive units of plants, with seeds providing a dormant state for plants to conserve energy and resources until conditions are favorable for growth.

Earth Vegetables (Root Crops)

• Underground storage organs are fleshy with high water content.
• Examples of root crops:
  • Solanum tuberosum (Potato)
  • Daucus carota (Carrot)
  • Beta vulgaris (Beet)
  • Raphanus sativus (Radish)
  • Brassica rapa (Turnip)
  • Allium cepa (Onion)
  • Allium sativum (Garlic)
  • Allium ampeloprasum var porrum (Leeks)

Fruit Vegetables

• Botanically, these are fruits, but eaten cooked.
• Examples of fruit vegetables:
  • Cucumis sativus (Cucumber)
  • Lactuca sativa (Lettuce)
  • Gongylodes (Swollen stem)

Leafy Vegetables

• Examples of leafy vegetables:
  • Amaranthus spp. (Thampala/Amaranth)
  • Centella asiatica (Gotukola)
  • Basella alba (Spinach)
  • Alternanthera sessilis (Mukunuwenna)

Wrap up

• Vegetables can be broadly grouped into three categories: earth vegetables, fruit vegetables, and leafy vegetables.

This quiz covers the syllabus of plant resources, including traditional uses and potentials of plants as sources of various products, sustainable utilization, and conservation.