Getting to Know Plants - Climbers and Creepers

Grade 3CBSE

Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.

🔑Concepts

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Plants with weak stems that cannot stand upright and instead spread on the ground are called Creepers . Examples include watermelon and pumpkin.

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Plants that take support on neighboring structures (like fences, walls, or other trees) and climb up are called Climbers . Examples include money plant, pea plant, and grapevine.

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The main difference between the two is the direction of growth: Creepers grow horizontally along the soil, while Climbers grow vertically using support.

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Climbers often have special structures called tendrils which are thin, thread-like parts that coil around a support to help the plant climb.

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Stem_{Tree} > Stem_{Shrub} > Stem_{Climber/Creeper}

📐Formulae

\text{Growth Direction of Creepers} \approx \text{Horizontal (along the ground)}

\text{Growth Direction of Climbers} \rightarrow \text{Vertical (with support)}

\text{Height of Creeper} (h) \approx 0 \text{ relative to ground level}

💡Examples

Problem 1:

Identify the type of plant: A watermelon plant has a weak stem and produces heavy fruits. It spreads all over the garden floor. Is it a climber or a creeper?

Solution:

It is a Creeper .

Explanation:

Because the stem is too weak to carry the heavy fruit upwards and it spreads horizontally on the ground, it fits the definition of a creeper.

Problem 2:

A money plant is kept in a pot near a window. A string is tied from the pot to the window grill. After a few weeks, the plant is seen growing upwards along the string. What category does this plant belong to?

Solution:

It belongs to the Climber category.

Explanation:

Plants that use external support (like a string or grill) to grow upwards are called climbers.

Problem 3:

15\text{ cm}

Solution:

60\text{ cm}

Explanation:

\begin{array}{r} 15 \\ \times 4 \\ \hline 60 \end{array}