It's Not Easy Bein' Green Trivia Quiz

Answer: Moss

Moss plants do not have roots but, instead, a structure called rhizoids which uses capillary action (think of a straw) to absorb water from the environment. The moss grows a multicellular trichome structure that resembles hair. This structure helps "root" the moss to the ground and is sometimes called a root hair. Unlike the rest of the moss plant, the rhizoids do not have chlorophyll for energy production.

Answer: Moss

The moss plants are nonvascular resulting in a much simpler structure than most plants. They do not have xylem to transport water or phloem to transport sugar and other nutrients. As a result, mosses do not have a wide variety of cell types. Most moss will have thicker walls on their outer cells and larger cells with thinner walls in their interior. Lacking both an internal support structure and a vascular system, mosses tend to grow outward rather than upward in shady, moist environments.

Answer: Moss

Since mosses are nonvascular they do not form true leaves. Instead, mosses have phyllids which form a single-cell layer that extends from the central stalk. This cellular orientation allows for rapid absorption of water from the environment. Mosses have a two-stage reproduction cycle.

The dominant stage is a gametophyte generation with two haploid cells that sexually reproduce. The second stage is the sporophyte stage where the moss makes spores that allow the plant to propagate asexually. The gametophyte stage allows for genetic diversity while the sporophyte allows for survivability without requiring coupling of haploid cells.

Answer: Fern

The sori are the circular fuzzy patches on the underside of a fern frond. The sori are sporangia, which are specialized cells that contain spores for the fern to propagate. Unlike moss, the fern is sporophyte-dominant, relying on asexual reproduction. Sori are usually covered by protective indusia tissue. Ferns often have a unique pattern to their sori which can help identify a species of fern.

Answer: Fern

The fiddlehead is the cool spiral that shoots off from a fern. The fiddlehead will roll open to form a mature frond, which is what leaves are called on fern plants. Many species of ferns have edible fiddleheads that can be added to a healthy cuisine. The name fiddlehead comes from the resemblance to the scrollwork on the end of a violin.

Answer: Fern

Ferns have rhizomes instead of roots. While rhizomes are more complex than the rhizoids of the moss, they are still not as complex as the roots of the higher plant forms. The rhizome is part of the stem of the fern and may be above or below ground. They have nodes that allow for growing branches of the rhizome. Ferns also have both xylem and phloem like other vascular plants. Under the right conditions, each rhizome can produce a new plant, so breaking off a node can result in new plant growth but also is a reason why unwanted ferns can be difficult to kill off.

Answer: Gymnosperm

The name gymnosperms comes from Greek for "naked seed." Unlike flowering plants, gymnosperms use cones to produce and protect seeds rather than flowers and fruits. A gymnosperm's seeds are usually spread by wind and gravity. Typically the larger cones on a conifer form the female part of the seed and usually grow higher up in the tree.

The male cone is smaller and forms pollen sacks that spread sticky pollen everywhere. When the pollen lands on the female cone it can fuse with the egg inside becoming a zygote that can divide to form an embryo. One huge advantage of the gymnosperm is that the embryo can stay dormant for months to years before starting the growing process to wait for ideal moisture conditions.

Answer: Gymnosperm

Gymnosperms, such as pine trees, usually form softer wood than angiosperms. Gymnosperms tend to be less dense than angiosperms because of microscopic differences in the structure of their xylem and phloem. In addition, gymnosperms lack sclerenchyma fibers making the wood softer. Sclerenchyma fibers, found in angiosperms, are very long, tapered cells with a thick cell wall providing structure and strength.

Answer: Gymnosperm

Gymnosperms often have needle-like leaves which allow better retention of moisture and provide less air resistance. Both of these are an advantage in arid environments. Since conifers usually stay green all year, the needle structure helps snow slide off better than a broader leaf would. By staying green all year, the gymnosperm can produce energy all year; however the smaller surface area results in a smaller rate of energy production.

The needle shape also makes it more difficult for animals and insects to eat.

Answer: Angiosperm

Angiosperms make up the majority of familiar plant life. Most angiosperms cover their fertilized seeds with fruit to aid in survival and propagation. The fruit can serve many purposes with protection of the seed being most important. Fruit also attracts animals to eat and then defecate the seeds in another location in a nice fertilizer-rich package.

The fruit can also serve as the energy nutrients seeds need to grow.

Answer: Angiosperm

Angiosperms are referred to as hardwood as they tend to be denser than the gymnosperms. Of course, exceptions can exist, but typically the presence of pores and sclerenchyma fibers (see number 8 above) results in higher wood density. The hardest known hardwood is the Australian buloke which is seven times denser than the hardest softwood, the Douglas fir. Typically, in construction soft wood is used because it is lighter and cheaper to produce. Hardwood is more commonly used for art and decoration like hardwood floors.

Answer: Angiosperm

All vascular plants technically have leaves (i.e. fronds for ferns and needles for conifers) however, angiosperms typically have special leaves that are flat with a large surface area. Their size and shape help maximize the plant's ability to conduct photosynthesis and retain water. Most angiosperms have stomas (holes) on the bottom of the leaf blade that allows the plant to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide. Typically when the weather gets cold leaves will start to close down operations and absorb nutrients to the base of the plant.

The breakdown of chlorophyll causes the leaves to lose their green color and trapped sugars form red pigments called anthocyanins. Once the tree sucks out the remaining nutrients in the leaf it will turn brown and fall to the ground providing fertilizer for the next growing season.