General Sites for Plant Biology

Flower Resources

A great starting point for those interested in all aspects of flowering plant biology, including photosynthesis, angiosperm classification, reproduction, and aspects of ecology.

(NZ) Bushmans Friend

This site is educational and informative. It is ideal for teachers, students and anyone else looking for information on New Zealand native plants.

Kimball's Plant Biology Lecture Notes

These lecture notes cover a range of topics including: photosynthesis, hormones, life cycles, reproduction, nutrition, gas exchange, transport, plus more.Well worth a look.

Plant Biology for Non-Science Majors

Provides lecture notes for a course in introductory botany. Covers basic plant anatomy and physiology, photosynthesis and respiration, systematics, evolution, and adaptation.

Plant Hormones, Nutrition, and Transport

Excellent coverage of plant hormones, plant nutrition and plant transport.

Science and Plants for Schools

Aiming to interest and educate young people in plants and molecular biology the SAP's site contains resources including practical investigations, projects, and suggestions for independent study.

Weeds Australia

Extesnive information on weeds permitted and prohibited in Australia.

WWW Virtual Library: Botany

From this starting point, you can access areas of interest in plant sciences.

Classification and Diversity

BBC News: 'Barcode' to help identify plants

An international team of scientists has agreed on a standard "DNA barcode" for plants that will allow botanists to identify species quickly and easily.

Flowering Plant Diversity

This web page has a good use of photos and diagrams to examine the large diversity of flowering plants.

Introduction to the Plantae

This site is from Introduction to the Eukaryota, and provides detailed information on the plant kingdom. Learn about morphology, life histories, the fossil record and systematics for all existing types of plant divisions.

Natural Perspective: The Plant Kingdom

With the use of photographs, this site clearly explains the classification of the plant kingdom. Starting with mosses and finishing with angiosperms, each section has a brief description of features used to classify them.

Vascular Plant Families

Hosted by the University of Hawaii, this site provides information and images of flowering and non-flowering plant families.

Hormones and Responses

Botany online: Plant hormones

Part of the extensive Botany online website, this page discusses the plant hormone concept .

Plant Hormones

This website provides general information on plant hormones and links to the plant-hormones discussion list. This list has been set up on the National Academic Mailing List Service .

Plant Hormones and directional growth

From the Biology-online website, this web page introduces the student to the role of plant hormones and also looks at tropism and plant growth.

Plant hormones and growth regulators

Based on lecture notes from Oregon State University, this page introduces the student to various plant hormones and their roles, and compares these with plant growth regulators. Also has an online quiz.

Plants-In-Motion

Plants-in-motion serves as a resource for non-profit educational use and is a collection of quicktime timelapse movies of plant responses, and information about those responses.

Nutrition and Gas Exchange

Angiosperm Structure & Function Tutorials

Part of Cornell University, learn about the plant structures of roots, stems and leaves, then take their online tutorial.

Ferns

This page on fern structure and function includes some very useful photographs and good information.

Lab I - Plant Structure

An introduction to the basic organisation of plants, plant cell and tissue types. Includes a glossary of terms and a virtual gallery.

Mangrove: Adaptations

This website hosted by the Florida Museum of Natural History provides information on the adaptations of mangroves for living in oxygen poor, high salinity environments.

Monocots versus Dicots

This site contains laboratory notes from the University of Hawaii. The coverage may be more in depth than required at high school level but does contain some excellent photographs comparing the structure of monocots and dicots.

Plant Structure

Part of the Online Biology book. This chapter is one of two and deals with the general organisation of plants, parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerechyma and the xylem.

Plant Structure II

Part of the Online Biology book. This is chapter two of a two part section and deals mainly with monocots and dicots, and secondary growth.

Plant Structure and Growth

A thorough overview of plant structure and growth. Includes: types of plant cells, vascular plants, transport in plants, plant reproduction, structure of the mature seed, and fruit development.

Support and Transport

Gas Exchange in Plants

Learn about gas exchange in plants. Includes: the role of leaves, roots and stems in gas exchange, and the opening and closing of stomata.

How Plants Feed

Informative site dealing with plant feeding and plant feeding methods, including parasitic, lichen and carnivorous.

Learning about Photosynthesis

Hosted by Arizona State University, this site provides a list of links to other web sites on photosynthesis and is aimed at school students.

Mineral Requirements

Take a closer look the composition of soils. Includes macro and micronutrients, soil pH, and how nutrients become available to plants.

Nitrogen Fixation

Part of the Bookrags website, learn about the nitrogen cycle and nitrogen fixation.

Photorespiration and C4 Plants

Learn about photorespiration and how C4 plants have adapted to minimise the losses to photorespiration.

Parasitic Flowering Plants

This webpage provides information on a variety of parasitic flowering plants. Types of parasitism include mycheterotrophs, hemiparasitic, holoparasitic and endoparasitic.

Plants Which Feed in Different Ways

Easy to read and interesting page on plants that obtain their nutrients from different methods, such as parasitic plants, symbiotic plants (e.g. lichens), and carnivorous plants.

Reproduction

Plant Transport Lecture

Maintained by Glendale High school, this web page looks at mechanisms for transporting water and nutrients to the plant.

Plant structure and growth

Intro to plant structure and growth. Includes: types of plant cells, vascular plants, transport in plants, plant reproduction, structure of the mature seed, and fruit development.

Reproduction

Asexual Reproduction

This page is part of Kimball's website, detailing asexual reproduction. This the formation of new individuals from the cell(s) of a single parent, it is very common in plants; less so in animals.

BBC Earth News: Raindrops drive flower evolution

A study of 80 species has confirmed a strong link between rainfall and flower design, the researchers report shows different shapes and structures in flowers prevent their pollen getting wet.

Flower Structure

This web site is easy to read and introduces the student to flower structure, pollination, fertilisation in plants, results of fertilisation, dispersal of fruits and seed.

Flowers and Reproduction

An very basic introduction to reproduction in flowering plants. Useful for those with no prior knowledge. Also contains online question and laboratory skills.

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