The document outlines various plant habits and their characteristics, describing different types of plants such as herbs, shrubs, trees, climbers, epiphytes, parasites, saprophytes, insectivores, and symbionts. Each category is exemplified with specific plants that illustrate their growth forms and dependencies. It emphasizes the importance of understanding a plant's habit in relation to its natural growth conditions.

1. HABIT AND
LIFE SPAN
Dr. Manoj Joshi
Department Of Botany
Kcmt Bareilly

2. Habit.
Characteristic form or
bodily appearance of an
organism.
(The habit of the plant can
be understood only if the
plant is provided with roots
or seen growing in
nature.)

3. 1. Herb.
A plant with soft stem-annual, biennial Or perennial- whose aerial portion is relatively short
lived; e.g., Rammculus.

4. 2. Shrub. Perennial, woody plant of
relatively low stature,
typically with several stems
arising from or near the
ground; shrubs do not have a
clear stem; e.g., Capparis.

5. 3. Tree.
A perennial woody plant with a
single trunk; e.g., Melia.

6. 4. Climber.
Plant with thin and long stems,
with diffuse branches and
special organs of attachment by
means of which it clings to the
neighbouring objects; e.g.,
Clematis, Tecoma.

7. 5. Epiphyte
. A plant that grows upon
other plants, but does not
absorb food from them as
do theparasites e.g.
,Mmda, Vanilla (orchid),

8. 6. Parasite. A plant that grows upon other living plants or
animals and obtains its food material from them. On
the basis of their complete or incomplete
dependence, the parasite may either be called total
parasite viz. Cuscuta reflexa, Orobanche,
Balanophora, etc.

9. partial parasite viz.
Viscumalbum,
Loranthus, Santalum,

10. 7. Saprophyte.
Monotropa,
Neottia
A plant that grows in places rich
in decaying organic substances,
deriving its nutrition from them;
e.g., Monotropa, Neottia

11. 8. Insectivore.
Plants which trap the
small insects and digest
their protein matter;
e.g., Drosera,
Utricularia, Nepenthes,
etc. (Fig. 1).

12. 9. Symbiont.
Two organisms living together
in such a way that they appear
to be the parts of the same
plant, and are of mutual
benefit to each other;
e.g., Mycorrhin, Lichens,
Rhizobium in root nodules of
papilionaceae.