| Many common vegetables are vascular plants.
Use produce to observe the vascular system in action. |
- Materials
- Two glass jars or beakers
- Water
- Food coloring (blue)
- Celery stalks
- Lettuce leaves
- Magnifying glass
- Metric ruler
- Crayon
- Stirring stick
- Procedure
- Fill each beaker with water to a height of 2
centimeters. Use the crayon to mark the water level on the
outside of the glass.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to each beaker. Stir.
- Place a celery stalk in one beaker, flowering leaf end
up.
- Place a lettuce leaf in the other.
- Observe the water level over a day or two. Then, use the
magnifying glass to observe the celery and lettuce.
- Conclusions
- Consider the vascular structure of the celery and the
lettuce. The blue food coloring should reveal the plant's
network of veins.
- How long did it take for the plant to absorb the water?
- Extension Ideas
- Try the procedure with a non-vascular plant, such as
moss or fern.
- Hotlist of Related Websites
- Leaf Structure
- Dandelion
- Hydroponics
- Mold/Fungus
- Lichens
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