Conservatory of Flowers: Education

Guides Corner

Adaptations Chart

For Jungle Guides- A handy chart to the fascinating functional adaptations of some of our plants.

AQUATICS ECOSYSTEM

Victoria Amazonica

Adaptation	Plant part affected	Need met/Purpose of adaptation	Activity: observable or demonstrable
Giant size	Leaf	Sunlight Maximum exposure	Group estimates size, compare leaf size to stem size
Strong leaf	Leaf	Sunlight Holds up leaf during heavy rainfalls and winds	Show pic of birds
Underside structure	Leaf	Supports massive leaf	Use lily sculpture. Show connection to Paxton and greenhouse design.
Spines	Leaf and stem	Defense from predators	Use lily sculpture, viewing area
Spiny leaf bud/thorny taco	Leaf	Defense from predators	Point out transition from young to old leaf (if available)
Waxy surface	Leaf	Repels water from leaf (Stomata are on surface of leaf) Keeps leaf from being submerged	Touch segment of leaf
Upturned edges/rim	Leaf	Prevents leaf overlap, prevents submerge	Get students to hypothesize reason for rim
Slits in rim	Leaf	Drains water
High salt content	Leaf	Buoyancy: Other plants in the Amazon typically have a 200:1 salt content. Victoria’s have a 20:1 salt content.
Hollow stem	Stem	Oxygen to roots	Compare Victoria stem to non-aquatic herbaceous stem

Carnivorous Plants

Adaptation	Plant part affected	Need met/Purpose of adaptation	Activity: observable or demonstrable
Nepenthes pitcher	Leaf	Nutrients	Dissect if available, if not use laminated version.Students observe pitcher grows from leaf.
Venus fly trap motion	Leaf	Nutrients	Use demo model
Drosera hairs and nectar	Leaf	Nutrients	Use hand lens
Sarracenia trumpet	Leaf	Nutrients	Dissect if available, if not use laminated version

HIGHLANDS ECOSYSTEM

Rice

Adaptation	Plant part affected	Need met/Purpose of adaptation	Activity: observable or demonstrable
Epiphytes	Whole plant	Sunlight, water	Observe epiphytess on tree. Sketch favorite epi
Orchid spongy roots	Roots	Water: absorb and hold moisture from the air	Spray with water to see color change in roots
Bromeliad tank shape	Leaf	Water	Pour water in bromeliad. Show dissected bromeliad
Waxy Leaves	Leaf	Retains water	Observe

Terrestrial Plants

Adaptation	Plant part affected	Need met/Purpose of adaptation	Activity: observable or demonstrable
Smaller leaf size	Leaf	Water: don’t transpire as much water	Observe. Identify smallest leaf, estimate size
Umbrella shape	Leaf	Sheds water from leaf preventing algae, mold from growing	Wet with spray bottle
Hair	Leaf	Sheds water	Use handlens to examine
Leathery texture	Leaf	Holds water in
Drip tip	Leaf	Sheds water and gently directs it to the plant’s root system	Spray bottle
Various leaf shapes	Leaf	Many many adaptations to shed water, survive winds.	Students identify varying shapes
Orchid	Stem	Succulent pseudobulb holds water.
Shorter plants	Stem	Survive lack of nutrients, winds.	Estimate height, compare to LowlandsStudents compare height to self—taller larger than them?
Vines	Stem	Sunlight

LOWLANDS ECOSYSTEM

Adaptation	Plant part affected	Need met/Purpose of adaptation	Activity: observable or demonstrable
Big leaves	Leaf	Sunlight	Students estimate largest leaf
Drip tips	Leaf	Sheds water from leaf preventing algae, mold from growing. Gently directs water to roots	Spray bottle
Enormous leaf shape diversity	Leaf	Sunlight, sheds water, survives winds	Without moving, students count the different leaf forms in front of them.
Banana	Leaf	Survive wind: Leaf can tear and still survive.	Show torn leaf
Vines	Stem	Crawling toward sunlight	Compare philodendron to vanilla vine
Lianas	Stem	Sunlight: Woody stems—a variation of a trunk needing less effort to produce	Compare philodendron to vanilla
Very tall plants	Stem	Sunlight: Grow tall to reach sunlight	Estimate height, compare to Highlands.Students compare height to self—taller larger than them?
Prop Roots	Roots	Hold tall plants upright in shallow soils.	Students sketch prop roots
Philodendron	Roots	Growing down: Support tall plant in shallow soil.	Student compares to nearby tree
Palm tree	Stem, Leaf	Shape of tree more effectively withstands high winds, hurricanes