Parallel venation: features of the structure of plants

Parallel venation of leaves occurs in nature quite often and is an important sign of plant classification. For which organisms it is characteristic and in what its features, we will consider in our today's article.

What is the venation

The leaf is the most important organ of the plant, performing vital functions. First of all, this is the process of transpiration and photosynthesis. Substances that are formed during this process are moved along a special sheet system. It is a collection of elements of a conductive tissue or, more simply, a vein. They can be arranged in different orders. The nature of their location is called venation.

Types of venation

There are three main types of venation. It is mesh, arc and parallel. And in nature there is a clear relationship between the shape of the leaf blade and the nature of the veins. Consider this dependence on the example of several common plants. For example, the fingered maple leaves have a reticular venation, in which the main vascular fibrous fasciculus is clearly distinguished. From it the veins of the second and third orders depart. The same arrangement is typical for cherries, peaches, dogrose, soy, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage and many other dicotyledonous plants. The leaves of a linear form have a different structure of the conducting system. If the main vein is not allocated, and the neighboring veins depart from the base of the leaf from one point by arcs, and then join at its apex, then this is an example of the second type. It is characteristic, for example, for a lily of the valley and plantain. Parallel venation also occurs in linear leaves.

Parallel sheet venation

Already from the name it is clear that the veins in such leaves are parallel to each other. They pass from the edge of the plate along it. Parallel venation is a characteristic feature of monocotyledonous plants. These include many representatives of families of cereals, onions and lily. The edge of their leaf blades is not dissected, but is absolutely level, which makes it possible for the parallel arrangement of the veins.

Plants with parallel venation

In addition to parallel venation for monocotyledons , the presence of an embryo with one cotyledon, a lobed root system, a lack of cambium in the stem tissue, and vaginal leaves are characteristic. Among the representatives of this systematic unit, grasses are common, and shrubs are more common.

Particular economic importance among them have cereal, or bluegrass plants. Corn, wheat, rye, barley, rice - all known grain crops. Pines, bluegrass, timothy grass, fire are typical steppe plants, which are perfectly adapted to the conditions of a cold little snowy winter and hot arid summer. Among cereals, many and valuable forage crops.

In lily flowers, which are valuable ornamental and honey plants, representatives with parallel venation also occur. They have an important underground modification of the shoot - the bulb. With the help of it, these plants vegetatively reproduce and carry arid and frosty periods.

Onions are widely distributed in nature. Most often they grow in meadows and forest glades. Thanks to the presence of bulbs they are able to exist also in the conditions of steppes, savannas and deserts.

Thus, parallel venation is characteristic of representatives of the monocotyledon class. This type of location of the conductive elements of the leaf is represented by vascular fibrous bundles, which are located along the plate of linear leaves.