Plants on Pitara Kids Network

How Many Greens?

Thu, 22 May 2003 08:39:03 +0000

How many greens are there in the park?
Can we count them – one by one?

There’s the light, light green of
the tender little grass
I would like this green
For the walls of my house!

There’s the darker green of the older plants
that have flowered for many years
I would like to have them as friends
For the numerous stories they can tell.

And there’s the darkest green of them all
In trees majestic and strong
They hold up the sky and protect the earth
You see, they are the oldest of them all.

Do Bananas Grow on Trees?

Sun, 01 Jul 2001 18:01:47 +0000

You think bananas grow on trees? Wrong. They don’t, because the banana tree is actually a plant. It is probably the largest plant in the world.

To know more, look at the banana trunk. Is it wood? No. There are layers of skin placed in circles. These layers are actually the lower ends of banana leaves. In other words, the banana tree is a clump of leaves!

A banana plant

At the top of the plant is a chunk of leaves looking like a palm tree. The flower bud grows in the stalk, which is right in the middle of these leaves. From this flower bud grows the bunch of banana fruits, all of which point skywards. There is only one bunch at a time. But, it can be quite heavy. Sometimes, it could weigh up to 45 kilograms!

Is Bamboo a Grass!

Fri, 24 Aug 2001 08:38:34 +0000

If you look at a blade of grass and a bamboo tree they remind you of a mouse and an elephant. But unlike those animals, the grass and the bamboo belong to the same family. They are brothers! The bamboo is the largest member of the grass family.

It grows in Asia, South America and Africa. It has about 500 different varieties. They all have smooth, hollow jointed stems with a strong watertight partition at each joint. While most flower every year, there are some that flower only three or four times in a 100 years.

Why are Some Plants Non-vegetarian?

Sat, 01 Jun 1996 09:32:17 +0000

Are you scared of going to the forest because you think there are man-eating tigers in the forest? What would you do if there were man-eating plants too?

Don’t worry. Man-eating plants do not exist. But insect and animal-eating plants do. They are what you would call non-vegetarian plants.

In fact, there are 500 varieties of plant species that trap prey and eat it. The most famous among these carnivorous plants are sundews, pitcher plants, bladderworts and the Venus flytrap.

Health Food

Tue, 25 Jun 2002 03:32:54 +0000

Stem, bulb, fruit, flower…what part of the plant do you eat? Simple, yet confusing. Activate your cells and take a guess.

The Plant at the Crossing

Thu, 22 Nov 2001 06:14:05 +0000

At a crowded crossing
I saw a brave new
recruit
to stem the environmental
rot

A tiny young
plant
transplanted in a
metal cage
took the exhaust of buses, trucks, cars
and scooters
full blast

The rate of wilting will
indicate pollution
levels
said a municipal official
with a satisfied smile

The Plant at the Crossing [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Testing death on a
plant
is so much better
In fact a “no-cost” option
to save this
Earth

The Lily Pool

Fri, 11 Feb 2000 08:30:27 +0000

The Lily Pool []

We have a little lily pool
With lilies pink and white
And though they look so fresh by day
They mostly bloom at night

The leaves are round and dusky green
With an edge that often curls
And when there’s water on the leaves
They look like drops of pearls

Come and see our lily pool
And sit there – like I do
See the lilies blooming bright
I know you’ll love them too!

The Green Land

Fri, 08 Jun 2001 15:50:44 +0000

Their green gives a shade of happiness to our planet. Know more about the fascinating world of plants that exist around us.

Seasons in a Tree’s Rooted Life

Mon, 10 Apr 2000 23:11:37 +0000

Seasons in a Tree’s Rooted Life [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli]

You may be very proud of the fact that the orange tree in your garden only comes up to your shoulders, but that is just one part of the tree that you see. Sometimes a tree’s roots, beneath the soil, are much bigger than the parts you see above the ground. It is with these roots a tree looks for water that gives it life, and makes its leaves look shiny, bright and healthy. In fact the leaves need to take in a lot of water to stay that way.