Plants and tree

We get food, clothes, oils, medicines and other useful substances from different plants.

Food

Our daily diet includes rice and wheat among other things. All of them are obtained from plants. Plants of wheat and paddy are similar in appearance. They look like grass. Thus, most of our staple food comes from plants of the grass family. Food for domestic animals like the cow and buffalo is also obtained from grass and grass like plants.

Clothes

We wear cotton clothes. Cotton is a natural fiber. These days we have clothes made of natural as well as synthetic fibers such as terycotton clothes.

Oils

Plants are the chief source of different oils. Coconut, ground-nut, mustard and sunflower provide us edible oils. Vegetable oils are used for making `Vanaspati Ghee’ and refined oils. These are used for cooking purposes.

Medicines

Most of the homoeopathic and all allopathic drugs are obtained from the plants. The common plants are like `Datura’, `Cinchona’, `Isapgol’ used in the manufacture of drugs.

Wood

We also get timber from plants. Teak and Rosewood are used in making furniture like cupboards, tables, chairs etc. some kind of wood is used for making boxes to store vegetables and fruits. Wood is also used for making tools and implements and also for making pencil, match-sticks, and match boxes. It is extensively used as fuel. Wood is also needed in the construction of a house.

Other uses

Leaves and the flowers of some plants are used for making scents and perfumes. Plant wastes are useful for making manures.

Grasses

There are thousands of different sorts of grasses. The seeds of grasses are sometime called grains. Rice is a grain. Do you know the name of any other grain?

Bamboo is a grass! It is the fastest growing plant in the world.

Plants and trees also protect the soil. They keep it from washing away. The roots of plants of a plant hold the soil together.

All parts of a coconut tree are useful. How?

• The leaves are used to thatch houses and sheets
• The wood is used to make furniture
• Coconut flesh and oil are used to make curry. They come from its seed.
• Coconut shells and fibers are used as fuel

Do you know?

*Plants that climb are called climbers. Pea is a climber. Plants that creep and spread on the ground are called creepers. Pumpkin is a creeper. A bushy plant with hard stem, closely knit branches and which lives for some years is called a shrub. Rose is a shrub.

*Plants with weak steam and small roots are called herbs. Tomato is an herb.