What is vegetative reproduction ? Describe any three natural methods of vegetative reproduction with examples.

Explanation

1. Vegetative reproduction : Vegetative reproduction is a kind of asexual reproduction which occurs with the help of vegetative organs like, root, stem, leaf or bud.
It is seen in plants like sweet potato, potato, sugar cane, Bryophyllum, etc.
2. Three natural methods of vegetative reproduction :
(i) Tuberous roots e.g. sweet potato :

(1) Sweet potato (Tuberous root) is the modification of root for vegetative propagation.
(2) It is swollen due to the deposition of food material.
(3) These adventitious buds sprout under favourable conditions to produce leafy shoots.
(ii) Stem tuber e.g. potato :
(1) Potato is an underground modification of stem.
(2) It is thick and fleshy, due to the storage of food material.
(3) Potato bears a number of notches on its surface, called 'eyes'.

(4) Each bud or 'eye' is actually a node bearing one or more axillary buds and reduced scaly leaves.
(5) After the dormancy period is over, one of axillary buds from an eye which sprouts by suppressing the growth of other buds and produces a new plant.
(6) The tuber or its pieces bearing at least one eye are grown separately in the field for the commercial production or cultivation of potatoes.
(iii) Vegetative reproduction in Bryophyllum : (1) Bryopohyllum reproduces vegetatively by means of leaf buds which are formed in mariginal notches of the leaf.

(2) The buds that are formed in the marginal notches of the Bryophyllum leaf are called adventitious buds.
(3) The leaf buds give rise to new plants.