Science: Grade 4
Life and Living: Features of Plants
FEATURES OF PLANTS
A plant is a living thing that can produce its own food. It reproduces but cannot move by
itself.
Plants are part of our ecosystem.
There are approximately 400 000 species of plants, shrubs and trees. Plants have different
shapes and colours. The leaves and flowers also differ in shape and colour, but most plants
are green.
Weeping Willow Tree
Bougainvillea
Rose Bush
An endangered species is a type of plant or a type of animal of which very few are left and
that will be wiped out completely if they are not given special protection.
An indigenous plant is one which is found only in a certain place and nowhere else.
In South Africa, there are more than 22 000 types of indigenous plants, which do not grow
naturally anywhere else in the world. Proteas found in the Western Cape, the aloes of the
Eastern Cape and the Namaqualand daisies are examples of indigenous plants.
Protea
Spiral Aloe
Namaqua Daisies
The Western Cape has many indigenous plants known as Fynbos, which means „fine leaved‟.
The Protea is a type of fynbos and is the national flower of South Africa.
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Science: Grade 4
Life and Living: Features of Plants
Uses of Plants
Plants are important for the continued existence of people. Without plants, there would be no
life on planet Earth.
Plants produce oxygen. Oxygen is an essential gas in the atmosphere that is breathed in by
people and animals.
Plants provide us with food.
Tomatoes
Avocados
Herbs
Plants provide materials for different uses, such as wood, cork, cotton and rubber.
Cotton Tree
Oak Tree
Certain plants contain healing substances, such as herbs that can be used as medicine, for
example, buchu and aloe.
Bach Remedy
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Aloe Moisturiser
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Life and Living: Features of Plants
When plants die, they provide compost, which makes the soil fertile.
Compost
Animals also use plants to live. Plants provide a habitat (home) for birds, reptiles and some
mammals. Plants also provide shade for humans and animals.
Leopard in Tree
Sheep under Shade of tree
If we had no plants, we would also have no meat, milk and eggs, because the animals that
provide these foods need plants for food.
Meat
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Milk
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Eggs
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Science: Grade 4
Life and Living: Features of Plants
How Plants Make their Food
Plants, just like animals, are alive. The difference is that animals move to obtain their food,
while plants do not move. Plants are anchored in one place and manufacture their own food.
This process takes place in the leaves and is known as photosynthesis.
Plants are like food factories. They make their own food and produce oxygen. They take up
the gas, carbon dioxide, from the air, absorb water from the soil, capture the light energy
from the sun in their leaves (chlorophyll) and change the water and carbon dioxide into
energy-rich food. The food they make is a kind of sugar. Some of this sugar is used straight
away by the plants and some of it is stored as nutrients in the plant.
In this way, the plant is able to grow and also serves as a food source for animals. This
process only takes place during the day.
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Science: Grade 4
Life and Living: Features of Plants
The Structure of a Plant
There are thousands of different types of plants, but most have the same basic structure as
shown in the diagram below:
Root – this anchors the plant in the soil and stops it from being blown or washed away. The
root grows under the soil and absorbs water and nutrients from the soil for the plant.
Stem – the stem is connected to the roots and lies above the ground. It keeps the plant upright
and transports the water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves.
Leaves – These grow from the stem. Different types of plants have different sizes and shapes
of leaves. The leaves are very important because they produce the food for the plant.
Petals – These are often brightly coloured. There are many different shaped petals. The petal
is part of the flower.
Flowers – These grow from the stem and are usually a bright colour. They make pollen and
develop seeds and fruit.
Seeds – These are needed for the plant to reproduce.
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Life and Living: Features of Plants
Fruits – A fruit is like a parcel in which some plants wrap their seeds. This “wrapping” or
skin is good to eat in some fruits, like apples, peaches, pears, plums etc. Bananas and lemons
are examples of some of the fruits that have “fruit walls” which are not sweet or tasty to eat.
We eat all the different parts of a plant, i.e.:






roots – radish, carrots, turnips, beetroot, sweet potato
seeds – pumpkin, sunflower, corn, beans, rice, peanuts
leaves – parsley, mint, lettuce, cabbage, spinach, rocket, coriander, onion
fruit – strawberries, pineapples, bananas, oranges, pumpkin, tomato
stems – celery, asparagus, potatoes, sugar cane
flowers – broccoli, cauliflower
Seeds
Fruit
Leaves
Roots
Flowers
Stems
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Science: Grade 4
Life and Living: Features of Plants
Habitat of Plants
The habitat of a plant is the place where it grows and that provides them with food and
shelter. Often plants and animals will share the same habitat.
Lemur Climbing Tree
Baby Birds in a Nest
Squirrel in a Tree
The habitat of a plant is determined by the soil type and the climatic region where it grows
best.
Some plants prefer dry soil in a hot area and therefore do not need much water for growth.
Other plants like wet soil in cold regions because they need a lot of water to grow.
Plants can be found in the following habitats:
Water: Some plants grow under water, such as kelp, which is a type of seaweed and others
grow on top of the water, for example, lilies.
Water Lily
Deserts: Some plants can grow in deserts where it is hot and dry, and where there is very
little water, for example shrubs, short grasses, cacti and mesems (mesembrythemums),
poppies and daisies also grow in some deserts. These plants have to be able to adapt to
survive for long periods without water.
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Life and Living: Features of Plants
The cactus, for example, has long roots which spread out and look for water, as well as a
thick stem for storing water.
Cactus
Mountains: Plants that grow on mountains must be able to withstand cold and strong winds,
for example, lichens, disa, protea and sugarbush.
Lichen
Disa
Sugarbush
Protea
Forests: Plants that can grow in shade prefer this habitat, for example: orchids, lichen, ferns,
mosses, pine and fir trees.
Pine Tree Forest
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Science: Grade 4
Life and Living: Features of Plants
Bushveld: For example: fynbos and some proteas and restios.
Fynbos
Protea Bush
Botanical gardens: Mainly indigenous plants are grown in botanical gardens.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Johannesburg Botanical Gardens
Nelspruit Botanical Gardens
Source:
Original Creation: Uploader, Siyavula: Connections web site:
The Usefulness of Plants:
http://cnx.org/content/m20222/latest/?collection=col11096/latest
The Continued Existence of Plants:
http://cnx.org/content/m19953/latest/?collection=col10981/latest
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