Reproduction is one of the characteristics of living organisms. In the flowering plants, reproduction takes place by the fusion of male and female gametes. This is known as sexual reproduction. But in some plants, vegetative parts such as roots, stems and leaves produce new plants. This method of reproduction is known as vegetative propagation. This is the simplest method of reproduction. The plants produced by vegetative propagation possess the same characteristics of the parent plant. Vegetative propagation helps in rapid propagation.
Vegetative Propagation through Leaves :
In the plant bryophyllum, leaf is broad and has notches at its margins Buds arise from the notches. These buds drop off from the leaf and grow into new plants. Each new plant has a bunch of roots and small leaves. In the same way the leaves of Begonia also give rise to new plants.
Vegetative Propagation through Roots : You find small plants around a curry leaf plant. New plants arise from the roots of curry leaf plant. Plants like sweet-potato, and Tapioca have swollen roots. Food is stored in these roots. They are called tuberous roots. When these roots are cut and sown in the soil, they produce new plants.
Vegetative Propagation by Stems : In potato, onion, ginger and turmeric, the shoot or the stem is subterranean i.e, it grows under the ground So it is called modified underground stem. When cut into pieces and put in the soil give rise to new plants. The food material stored in the stem is used for vegetative propagation. We also make use of the food material as vegetables. In ginger, the stem grows. Horizontally in the ground. Nodes and some scale leaves are found on the stem. Finger like projections arise called as buds. If a piece of ginger along with the bud is planted in the soil, it develops into a new plant. Some plants grow by spreading on the ground. In these plants, we find a bunch of roots at each node. If apart of the stem of such a plant along with roots is cut and planted in the soil, it grows into a new plant. Many type of grasses multiply like this vegetatively. In plantain vegetative propagation is done from the tuberous stem. Buds sprout from these stems. These are called sword suckers. These suckers when separated from the mother plant and planted in the soil, grow into new plants.