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Rosette (botany)

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– Taxonomies:
– Many plant families have varieties with rosette morphology
– Common in Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, and Bromeliaceae
– Example: Blechnum fluviatile or New Zealand Water Fern (kiwikiwi)
– Rosette plants are characterized by a circular arrangement of leaves
– Rosettes are found in various plant families

– Function in flowering plants:
– Rosettes often form in perennial plants for protection
– Rosettes can occur when internodes along a stem are shortened
– Examples include lettuce, dandelion, and some succulents
– Rapid growth in some plants leads to a condition known as bolting
– Dandelions exhibit a persistent rosette at the base with a taproot

– Protection:
– Rosettes like dandelions are hard to pull from the ground
– Caulescent rosettes provide protection with a well-developed stem
– Tropical alpine plants have evolved rosettes for survival in harsh environments
– Examples include Espeletia schultzii and Espeletia timotensis
– Rosettes help with water balance and cold protection

– Form:
– Rosette form refers to the structure and relationship of plant parts
– Variations in rosette form are observed in different plant species
– Examples of rosette forms include Dryas octopetala and Silene nutans
– Rosettes can have different leaf shapes and flower arrangements
– Some plants perpetually grow as rosettes during their lifecycle

– See also:
Asteraceae
– Bromeliad
– Billbergia
Fern
– Birds nest fern

Rosette (botany) (Wikipedia)

In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves or of structures resembling leaves.

A rosette of leaves at the base of a dandelion
Rosette growth form of the liverwort Ricciocarpos natans.

In flowering plants, rosettes usually sit near the soil. Their structure is an example of a modified stem in which the internode gaps between the leaves do not expand, so that all the leaves remain clustered tightly together and at a similar height. Some insects induce the development of galls that are leafy rosettes.

In bryophytes and algae, a rosette results from the repeated branching of the thallus as the plant grows, resulting in a circular outline.

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