Question

What is a tendril? Name the two types of tendrils.

Answer 1

The directional growth movement of a plant part in response to the touch of an object is called Thigmotropism. Tendrils are the climbing parts of the plant without which this phenomenon cannot be performed.

Complete answer:
Tendrils are the thread-like thin growth on the stems or leaves of climbing parts or in simple words we can say that the climbing plants have climbing organs known as tendrils. These tendrils are sensitive to the touch (or contact) of other objects. They are positively thigmotropism which means that they grow towards things they happen to touch.

Tendrils have cells that can sense their contact with any nearby solid object like a bamboo stick or the stem of another plant. Then, it grows slowly in contact with the object which causes the tendril to bend towards the object wind around and cling to it.

There are two types of tendrils-
a) Stem tendrils- In some stemmed plants modify branches or parts of the stem develop into the tendrils. The plants such as – bitter gourd (karela), bottle gourd (lauki), grapevine having stem tendrils which make these plants to climb up by winding around various types of support.
b) Leaf tendrils- In some weeks, the entire leaf primordia is developed into tendrils. In plants such as peas and glory lily leaf tendrils are present which also make the plants to climb up by winding around the nearby support.

Note:
- The various types of tropic movements help the plants to survive. Thigmotropism is also one of the tropic movements which help the plants to obtain all the necessities for their growth and survival.
- Tendrils do not have a lamina or a blade but can do photosynthesis and if they come in contact with any object for long then it curls around it and forms a strong anchor point for the pitcher.