asexual reproduction only involves one parent and all offspring produced are exact genetic copies of each other and the parent plant - they are clones
asexual reproduction can occur naturally or humans can control asexual reproduction in plants artificially for their own uses
natural asexual reproduction in plants?
runners
some plants grow side branches, known as runners that have small plantlets at their ends
runners are horizontal stems that grow sideways out of the parent plant
once the runner touch the soil, these plantlets will grow roots and the new plantlets will grow and become independent form their parent plant
label the diagram
A) runner
B) identical
what is the artificial asexual reproduction in platns?
cuttings
cuttings is a simple method used by gardeners to clone plants
method of taking cuttings:
gardeners take cuttings from good parent plants
a section of the parent plant with a new bud is cut off
this cutting can be either placed into water until new roots grow or can sometimes be placed directly into the soil
sometimes the stem of the cutting may first be dipped into rooting powder, which contains plant growth regulators (rooting hormones) that encourage new root growth
these cuttings are then planted then eventually grow into adult plants that are genetically identical to the original plant
plants cloned by taking cuttings cam be produced cheaply and quickly
