Unit 5 Discussion Board
AIU Online Biology
Cannabis Sativa-Angiosperm
August 22, 2013 I chose marijuana again for this assignment for my angiosperm species. Cannabis sativa x indica is part of the Magoliophyta phylum because it produces flowers and seeds. Angiosperms consist of 4 major parts, roots, stems, leaves and flowers. The marijuana plant’s roots send nutrients up through the leaf stems to the leaves; they also store excess energy for the plant. The stem is the lifeline of the plant. The leaves like every other plant are for photosynthesis. Marijuana plants have separate sexes. The male plant produce pollen and the female plants produce eggs and seeds. Male plants contain the anther, a pollen producing organ. The female plants have a stigma, which is a sticky bulb in the middle of the flower that catches the pollen. The style is the stalk that the stigma rests on, and the pistol is a tube leading to the ovary part of the plant that houses the seeds that will become a “bud” containing tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. (Medical Marijuana) Most plants are either female or males, though some marijuana plants can possess both male and female organs. These plants are called hermaphrodites. Pollen is distributed mostly by the wind unlike many other flowering plants that use bees to pollinate them. Marijuana female plants are coated with resin for the pollen to stick to. After the female plant is pollinated, the pollen goes down the pistol to the ovary and fertilizes the female sex cell, the ovule. The ovule then becomes a seed with a full set of genetic material. An outdoor marijuana plant will go from seed to harvest in 6 to 9 months. (Cannabis Sativa) The marijuana plant’s roots send nutrients up through the leaf stems to the leaves; they also store excess energy for the plant. The stem is the lifeline of the plant. The leaves