All vegetable plants. Subshrubs and shrubs used as herbs and food plants

Today we will take a break from practical work and in our spare time let's turn to botany. Sometimes it is useful, by the way... I propose to classify a little those vegetables that you or your neighbors grow in their dacha or garden.

For easier learning biological features and the development of agrotechnical techniques, vegetable plants are divided into certain groups.

Classify vegetable plants according to various botanical characteristics, organs consumed as food, as well as life expectancy.

All types of vegetable plants are included in certain botanical families.

1. Cruciferous, or cabbage: cabbage - white, red, Savoy, Brussels sprouts, Beijing, Chinese, cauliflower, kohlrabi, ornamental, turnip, radish, radish, rutabaga, leaf mustard, watercress, horseradish, katran.


2. Celery or umbelliferous: parsley, carrots, dill, parsnips, celery.


3. Pumpkin: melon, pumpkin, squash, cucumber, watermelon, zucchini.


4. Nightshades: pepper, eggplant, potato, physalis, tomato.


5. Chenopodiaceae: spinach, beets, chard.


6. Legumes: peas, beans, beans.


7. Compositae, or asteraceae: artichoke, lettuce, scorzonera, oat root, tarragon, chicory salad, endive.


8. Buckwheat: sorrel, .


9. Lily or onion: onions - onions, leeks, multi-tiered, chives, Altai,; garlic.


10. Asparagus - asparagus.


11. Cereals, or bluegrass: sweet corn.


12. Lamiaceae, or Lamiaceae: marjoram, savory, basil, hyssop, peppermint.

Most families belong to the class dicotyledonous plants, and only 3 families - lily, asparagus and cereals - belong to the monocot class.

Botanical classification determines the place of each plant in the entire diversity of plant species, but is inconvenient, since the same family includes plants that form a vegetable from different organs. For example, the cruciferous family unites plants whose vegetables are leaves, heads of cabbage, roots, and thickened stems.

The Asteraceae family includes plants that form vegetables in the form of leaves, roots, young shoots, and inflorescences.
In vegetable growing practice they use economic classification according to a complex of characteristics.

1. Cabbage plants - white cabbage, red cabbage, Savoy, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kohlrabi.


2. Fruits - sweet corn, eggplant, peas, peppers, cucumber, fisadas, pumpkin, tomato, melon, watermelon, beans.


3. Root vegetables - rutabaga, carrots, radishes, parsley, parsnips, beets, radishes, celery, turnips.


4. Tubers - all types of potatoes.


5. Onions - onions, leeks, garlic, shallots.


6. Leafy - dill, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, spinach.


7. Perennials - artichoke, horseradish, rhubarb, sorrel, asparagus, onions (batun, chives, multi-tiered).

Cabbage plants form various food organs: cabbage heads - in white cabbage, red cabbage and Savoy cabbage; axillary buds (heads of cabbage) in Brussels sprouts; head - from cauliflower; thickened stem - kohlrabi.

All plants in this group are cold-resistant and require good soil moisture.

The group of fruit and vegetable plants is characterized by the fact that in these plants the vegetable is the fruit. In some cases, the fruit is in a state of complete botanical ripeness (eggplant, melon, watermelon, tomato), in some others it is in a phase of incomplete technical ripeness (squash, zucchini, sweet corn, beans, peas, cucumber, beans).

Regardless of the degree of ripeness of the fruits, it is necessary to create conditions under which the plants quickly move to flowering and fruit formation.

Root plants should form well-developed, unbranched, thickened roots. They should not proceed to the premature formation of flowering shoots, and in the initial period of the growing season, agrotechnical measures should be aimed at enhancing the growth of the root system and assimilation surface.

In tuberous vegetable plants, modified underground stem formations are formed. Tuberization usually coincides with flowering, although this does not affect tuber growth.

Onion plants form a real ( onion, shallot, garlic) or false onion (leek). When growing onion plants Flower arrows should not be allowed to appear on products to prevent waste nutrients on their growth. This does not apply to shooting forms of garlic and multi-tiered onions.

In leafy vegetable plants, leaves or parts thereof (petioles) are eaten. The formation of flowering shoots in this group of plants is an inevitable phenomenon, so they are removed in order to obtain high yields.

To prevent the premature formation of flowering shoots, vernalization of seeds should not be used. Flowering stems are formed in large quantities with a lack of moisture in the soil. Therefore, during dry weather, irrigation is used. Removal of flowering shoots is not carried out on spicy-flavored vegetable plants (dill, savory, basil, marjoram), since not only their leaves, but also young shoots are eaten.

According to their lifespan, vegetable plants can be annual, biennial or perennial.

In annual vegetable plants life cycle from sowing seeds to ripening fruits ends in the first year. This group includes all fruit plants, as well as lettuce, spinach, radishes, Peking and cauliflower, dill, etc.

In the first year, biennial vegetable plants form a rosette of leaves and food organs (root crops, tubers, heads of cabbage, bulbs, stem crops); They produce fruits and seeds in the second year of cultivation. This group includes carrots, parsley, beets, turnips, radishes, rutabaga, cabbage (except cauliflower and Chinese cabbage), onions, etc.

Perennial vegetable plants in the first year of life form a powerful root system and leaf rosette. The formation of their food organs and fruits occurs starting from the second or third year of life and continues for several years.

It should be noted that the division of vegetable plants into annual, biennial and perennial is conditional. If in their homeland tomato and pepper are perennial plants, then in our country they are typical annuals.

Life expectancy for some types of vegetable plants is a varietal characteristic. For example, most varieties of radish are typical biennials, and the varieties Remo, Early Stuttgart and some others form fruits and seeds in the first year of life.

Therefore, it is possible to group vegetable plants according to various characteristics. Each classification has its own disadvantages, and you cannot stick to just one. When studying vegetable plants, one has to take into account all the signs - botanical affiliation, the emerging type of food organ, as well as their life expectancy.

Vegetables are an extremely capacious concept that has very vague, fuzzy boundaries.

The most acceptable definition of vegetables was given by Professor V.I.

Such plants, which the population of our planet uses as vegetables, include more than 1,200 species around the world, of which the most widespread are 690 species belonging to 9 botanical families.

Distribution of these types of vegetables in cultivation in different parts and countries globe unevenly. For example, greatest number species vegetable crops used by humans in Asia, which is facilitated by the richness of its flora and favorable climate: about 100 types of vegetables are widely grown in Japan, about 80 in China, more than 60 in India, and about 50 species in Korea.

On the vast territory of our country, according to various data, up to 40 types of vegetable crops are grown, of which 23 are widely distributed, these are: white cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, beets, turnips, rutabaga, carrots, radishes, radish, cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini, watermelon, melon, tomato, pepper, eggplant, onion, garlic, celery, parsley, dill, lettuce. Other types of vegetables are also present, but are not so widely cultivated.

Each vegetable crop has its own individual biological characteristics, characterized by special requirements to environmental conditions and growing methods, differs in the way they are eaten. At the same time, vegetable plants have a number of common characteristics that allow them to be combined into separate groups. Based on a combination of biological and economic characteristics, it is possible to classify vegetable crops.

A variety of plant parts are used for food; Based on the use of one or another part, vegetable plants are divided into the following groups.

* Fruit(tomato, cucumber, eggplant, pepper, zucchini, squash, zucchini, crookneck, pumpkin, watermelon, melon, artichoke, physalis, peas, beans, beans, soybeans, sweet corn, etc.).

* Root and tuber crops(carrots, rutabaga, beets, radishes, radishes, turnips, tuberous celery, root parsley, sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, oat roots, parsnips, scorzonera, etc.).

* Onion(onions, shallots, leeks, leeks, sweet onions, multi-tiered onions, spring onions, chives, wild onions, garlic).

* Leafy, including cabbage(white cabbage, red cabbage, Chinese cabbage, leaf cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Beijing cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli).

* Green(types of lettuce, chicory lettuce (witloof, endive), escarole, spinach, sorrel, rhubarb, purslane, asparagus, amaranth, watercress, watercress, quinoa, mustard greens, chard), borage, dandelion, asparagus, dill).

* Spicy flavor(anise, marjoram, basil, lovage, hyssop, snakehead, watercress, marjoram, tarragon, horseradish, katran, coriander, lemon balm, mint, sage, savory, caraway, thyme, rosemary, rue, nigella, fennel, etc.) .

However, such a division according to the parts of crops consumed is quite arbitrary and not entirely correct from a biological point of view; in addition, huge variety vegetable plants cannot be placed in such simple diagram. In some fruit and vegetable crops, ripe fruits are eaten (tomato, eggplant, pepper, pumpkin), in others - unripe fruits (zucchini, squash, cucumber, peas, beans). Leafy vegetable crops use various parts and organs of the plant, not just the leaves, as the name suggests. So, in cabbage and Brussels sprouts, cabbage and endive salad(witloofa) the overgrown buds are eaten, while in broccoli and cauliflower - unopened inflorescences. The leaves themselves are used in Chinese and Savoy cabbage, lettuce, Swiss chard, sorrel, spinach and green onions, as well as a number of aromatic crops such as parsley, celery, dill, basil, tarragon, marjoram, lovage, watercress, mustard greens, many of which of this classification belong to another group of vegetable crops. In plants such as fennel, young beets, petiole celery, rhubarb, leaf petioles are used for food. U large group plants called root vegetables use overgrown roots, and kohlrabi cabbage uses an overgrown stem that looks like a root vegetable.

Young shoots and sprouts, for example, of asparagus and purslane, as well as various tuberous formations on the roots and rhizomes of plants such as Jerusalem artichoke, sweet potato, and stachys can also be used as vegetables. All this shows some imperfection in this division of vegetable crops into groups.

Another classification system for vegetable plants is based on their belonging to different botanical families. This classification systematizes the huge variety of vegetables and helps to navigate related cultures ah, for example, when planning crop rotation, when crops of the same botanical family should not be grown sequentially on one piece of land. Thus, the group of root vegetables includes vegetable plants of three botanical families: umbelliferae, or celeriaceae (carrots, parsnips, parsley, celery), cruciferous, or cabbage (rutabaga, turnip, radish, radish), and chenoraceae (table beets).

Distribution of vegetable crops by botanical families

According to the duration of the life cycle, all vegetable plants are divided into annual, biennial and perennial.

*Annuals Vegetable plants go through their life cycle from sowing seeds to forming new seeds in one year. The life processes of annual plants are determined by three main periods: seed germination and the appearance of cotyledon leaves, increased growth vegetative organs and green mass of plants, the formation of reproductive organs until the plant fully matures. After the life cycle is fully realized, the plant dies. Annual vegetable crops include plants of the fruit group: tomato, cucumber, eggplant, pepper, zucchini, squash, zucchini, pumpkin, watermelon, melon, artichoke, as well as lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, watercress, dill, radishes, cauliflower and Chinese cabbage, broccoli, some spicy-flavoring crops.

* Biennial In the first year of life, vegetable plants form a rosette of leaves and vegetative productive organs, such as roots, tubers, heads of cabbage, and bulbs. The formation of fruits and seeds occurs only in the second year of plant life, when they form flowering shoots on which fruits and seeds develop until fully ripe. The life cycle of biennial plants is interrupted by a period of physiological rest when unfavorable conditions for growth and development during maturation. During the period of such forced dormancy, a rearrangement of nutrients occurs, and with the onset of a new growing season, the plant spends its vital resources on the formation of fruits and seeds. Typically, biennial vegetable crops are grown to obtain their developed vegetative organs, which they form in the first year of life (root crops, heads of cabbage, bulbs), but if it is necessary to obtain seeds, the productive organs (mother cells) along with the roots are harvested in the fall and stored during the winter in storage , after which the next year in the spring they are planted in the soil. After the formation and complete ripening of fruits and seeds, the plants die off in the second year. Biennial vegetable crops include some plants from the group of root vegetables, such as carrots, beets, celery, parsley, as well as cabbage, Savoy and Brussels sprouts.

* Perennial Vegetable plants have a life cycle that extends over many years with an annual renewal of vegetative development. In the first year of life, plants are just beginning to develop; they form a developed root system and a leaf rosette. The formation of productive organs and seeds begins in the second and third years of the plant’s life and continues, renewing, for several years. Just like in biennial plants, perennial crops with the onset of winter, a period of forced physiological dormancy begins with the rearrangement of nutrients inside the plant, which in the spring is replaced by a growing season. Perennial vegetable crops include horseradish, sorrel, rhubarb, asparagus, lovage, onion, chives and some others.

Rare vegetable plants

In addition to the commonly known and widespread vegetables, the world eats many little-known and even completely unknown plants.

Vegetables are widely used in Asia, Africa, South and Central America pumpkin family, many of which are widely known in our country. But among them there is also a strange vegetable called Vietnamese zucchini, or Indian cucumber, - lagenaria, Lage-naria is also called a dish pumpkin and a gourd and dishes are made from it, musical instruments, toys. The food consumed is the unripe fruits of the long-fruited variety of lagenaria, which taste like zucchini and are prepared according to similar recipes. IN South-East Asia Lagenaria fruits are used in dried form; for example, in Japan and China, tender, tasty noodles are prepared from it, which are stored in dried form.

In Vietnam, Laos, China, Japan, Indonesia, a plant of the pumpkin family is very popular - Benincasa, also called winter gourd and wax gourd. This vegetable received this name for amazing ability stored until spring without loss of quality, thanks to the thick waxy coating on the peel. Seasonings, soups, candied fruits are prepared from benincasa, and young ovaries are pickled.

It is widespread in Central and South America chayote, or Mexican cucumber. This amazing perennial climbing plant not only gives bountiful harvest fruits resembling zucchini on its above-ground part, but also many underground tubers that the plant forms in the 2-3rd year of the growing season. Aboveground fruits - “zucchini” - are not very large (no more than 20 cm in length), have a pleasant taste of delicate pulp and are used raw for making salads and side dishes, and underground tubers are cooked like potatoes.

In the countries of Southeast Asia, Africa and South America a plant completely unknown to us is widely cultivated - trichosanth of the pumpkin family, called snake cucumber for its intricately curved fruits, the young fruits of which are used fresh for food.

In India, trichosanth is considered the main vegetable crop of the monsoon season. - Another plant of the pumpkin family that is little known to us grows in India. momordica,

or yellow cucumber. This plant received its second name for the bright yellow color of the ripe tuberculate fruit, which is similar in appearance to a cucumber. Unripe momordica fruits are used for canning; they are salted and pickled, after being soaked in salt water to remove their inherent bitterness. In China and Japan grows a strange form of oriental

cucumber melon, the fruits of which contain very little sugar and are therefore used as pickling cucumbers. or sweet cucumber. This plant is unusual in that it is a cross between a zucchini and a melon. Only young unripe fruits of the sicana are used for food, since the ripe fruit acquires a strong perfumery smell, for which the sicana received its second name, and is used to flavor the home.

Cyclantera, or Peruvian cucumber, is also a popular vegetable plant in Central America. Numerous tender young shoots of cyclantera are used for food, like asparagus, lightly boiled, and the fruits, which resemble a small cucumber, are used to prepare spicy national seasonings.

Widely distributed on the islands of Central America Antillean cucumber. This plant has very unusual small fruits, completely covered with soft long outgrowths, like thin legs. The fruits of the Antillean cucumber are salted and pickled like ordinary cucumbers.

Widely used as a vegetable in India luffa, we are better known as a plant that produces a bath sponge. Young luffa ovaries are used for food, from which nutritious soups and various seasonings are prepared, which are considered a delicacy.

In Japan and China, they have been used as a vegetable since ancient times. different kinds chrysanthemums family Asteraceae, or Asteraceae. The leaves that are eaten are mainly the leaves, which quickly grow back on the plant after being torn off. They are blanched for a very short time and then added to salads or served as an independent side dish. Less commonly, shoots, soft stems and even flowers are used in the same way.

In Southeast Asia, such a plant as stahis, or chistets, called Chinese artichokes. Its tender nodules, which grow like beads on the roots of the plant, are used for food.

Common in Oceania, Japan and China herbaceous plant tarot also forms tubers on the roots, which are used boiled to prepare many dishes.

Chufa It is also a tuberous plant from the sedge family and forms a huge number of small tender nodules on its thin fibrous roots. The number of nodules on the roots of an average, well-developed plant can reach up to 1000 pieces. The nodules are very nutritious, oily (oil content up to 40%), rich in starch, protein, sugar and taste like almonds.

Another tuberous plant widely cultivated in Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia is yam. Its tubers, unlike chufa, reach truly enormous sizes: up to 1 m in diameter and up to 50 kg in weight. Tubers are characterized by a high content of starch and protein, are very nutritious and find a wide variety of uses.

In many countries of Southeast Asia, plants that are quite unusual to our understanding are used as vegetables. Yes, some types bamboo They are highly valued as vegetable plants, and young bamboo shoots and buds are used for food, used for salads in fresh and canned form.

U aquatic plant lotus Rhizomes and fruits in the form of small nuts are used for food. In China and Japan, many different dishes are prepared from lotus, including sweet ones - dessert dishes, compotes and jelly.

The centuries-old everyday experience of the peoples who once inhabited and now inhabit our planet, and especially those who have long given preference to agriculture, tells us about the widespread and almost universal use of plants for food. AND vital role It is vegetable crops that have occupied and continue to occupy the human diet. It is simply impossible to imagine our life without vegetables today. Cabbage and carrots, potatoes and tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants, onions, zucchini and beets, abundance fragrant greens: parsley, basil, cilantro, dill - is it possible to prepare a delicious dish today without these ingredients? And about dietary nutrition without vegetables it would be completely forgettable!

In modern thinking, vegetables are usually called the edible part (fruit, root or tuber) of some plants, as well as other solid plant foods, with the exception of fruits, cereals, mushrooms and nuts.

All vegetable crops can be divided into several large groups, among which the most famous are: legumes, green crops, cabbage crops, root and tuber crops, bulbous crops, nightshade crops, pumpkin crops, spicy-flavoring crops.

Our ancient ancestors, having no idea about vitamins and, especially, about chemical composition plants, many vegetables were used not only for purely food purposes, but also for the prevention and treatment of many diseases. Almost all vegetables, like fruits and berries, are the most important suppliers of vitamins, as well as a host of other components beneficial to human health - mineral salts, organic acids, fatty and essential oils, tannins, phytoncides, fiber, etc.

Despite the presence in our stores there are quite large selection vegetables that are familiar to residents middle zone, and various “overseas” exotic vegetables, there are more and more people striving to grow vegetables on their plots. And the opinion that vegetables grown in your own garden are much more tastier than vegetables, bought in a store, it seems, is far from a figment of the imagination.

In addition, many varieties of vegetables can be easily grown on a balcony or terrace, or even just on a windowsill, because some representatives of vegetable crops come from southern countries with a mild climate. Tomatoes grown in a tub often produce a more abundant harvest than those grown in the garden. Fragrant basil and lavender grow much better in a pot than in the garden. And the nimble tendrils of beans tied to the lattice on your balcony are not only a future vegetable delicacy, but also protection from the sun and decoration of your home!

Way to high yields vegetables grown with your own hands will not be so long and difficult if you walk along it with us, because on the pages of our encyclopedia you can find qualified answers to any questions you may have: choosing a variety; preparation and sowing of seeds for seedlings and open ground; planting care; watering and fertilizing plants; protection from diseases and pests; harvesting and storage; culinary recipes tasty and healthy vegetable dishes and preparations for the winter.

The development of a plan necessarily precedes the implementation of any idea. This fully applies to the vegetable garden: the more carefully and thoughtfully the area allocated for planting is arranged, the more confidently one can expect good harvest(of course, subject to adequate care of the plants).

There are no absolutely identical sites, and much depends on the terrain, soil characteristics and relief, the location of the site relative to the cardinal points, the special microclimate and much more. However, there are universal recommendations, compliance with which when planning a garden guarantees high yield in future.

Before moving on to consideration of specific issues, it is necessary to study the specifics of agricultural technology of vegetable crops, their needs, the conditions necessary for their normal growth and development, since without this knowledge it is impossible to competently organize planting and crop rotation, and take into account the compatibility of crops.

➣ Thanks to the mild climate, they cultivate greatest number There are more than a hundred types of vegetables in Japan, about eighty in China, about sixty in India, about fifty in Korea.

Vegetable crops are extremely diverse. About forty types of vegetable plants are grown in Russia, of which the most commonly cultivated are cabbage (white cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower), cucumber, tomato, eggplant, radish, radish, beets, turnips, rutabaga, pumpkin, watermelon, carrots, peppers, onions, garlic , celery, lettuce, dill, parsley, melon, zucchini. The rest are less common. Each of the listed crops has a number of unique biological characteristics; they all have different requirements for natural and climatic factors and methods of cultivation, and are consumed differently. Despite this diversity, vegetable crops can be grouped because they have common features. However, it must be recognized that within the framework of one classification it is impossible to take into account all their characteristics.

From a biological point of view, vegetable plants belong to various families (Table 1).

Table 1

Classification of vegetable plants based on their belonging to botanical families

Knowledge of this classification is necessary for everyone who grows vegetables, as it helps not only to systematize plants, but also to plan wisely crop rotation and avoid growing related crops in the same bed for a number of years.

Vegetable plants can be divided into groups, taking into account the duration of their vegetative cycle (Table 2)

table 2

Classification of vegetable crops based on life cycle length

Most amateur gardeners, when growing vegetable crops, most often distinguish them by the part that can be eaten (Table 3)

Table 3

Classification of vegetable plants based on the use of certain vegetative organs.

The presented classification with scientific point view is not entirely correct, since it cannot take into account everything. For example, at fruit plants Both ripe (tomato, pumpkin, etc.) and unripe (cucumber, zucchini, squash, etc.) fruits are eaten; in leafy ones - both leaves and other parts of plants (in Brussels sprouts, white- and red cabbage, lettuce - overgrown buds, broccoli and cauliflower - inflorescences); for leafy and spice-flavored plants (chard, spinach, sorrel, parsley, basil, etc.) - leaves; Overgrown roots (carrots, beets), stems (kohlrabi), petioles (celery, rhubarb), etc. are eaten as vegetables.

In our article we will get acquainted with the cultivated plants of Russia. Man has long used them in his economic activity to obtain valuable nutrients and food.

Cultivated plants: names and definition of the concept

For a long time, humans have been selecting species with valuable properties, their crossing and selection. The result of such activity is modern cultivated plants: grains, vegetables, industrial plants.

The famous Russian scientist Nikolai Vavilov made a great contribution to the development of ideas about this process. It was thanks to his expeditions that it was possible to collect a huge collection of cultivated plants and name the centers of their origin.

Scientists have been able to establish many interesting facts. Do you know the names of cultivated plants such as rye and oats? So, initially they were weed species that grew in wheat crops. And modern cultivated rice is the result of the domestication of two wild species - African and Asian.

Ornamental crops

The names of cultivated plants are now clearly defined in the International Code of Nomenclature. Their main category is variety. Cultivated species are classified according to the purpose of their cultivation.

One of these groups is ornamental plants. They are used to decorate various areas: parks, squares, gardens, residential premises, areas for recreation and entertainment, as well as aquariums.

Most of them are grown for beautiful flowers. These are roses, tulips, petunias, gerberas, dahlias, periwinkle and many others. Popular indoor views are anthurium, uzambar violet, gardenia. That's what they call them - beautifully flowering ones. Some crops are valued for the aesthetic appearance of their foliage, fruits or needles.

Cereals and cereals

Wheat, rye, oats, barley, sorghum, corn, millet... These are the names of cultivated plants that belong to the Cereals family. People have long cultivated them for grain, to obtain cereals and flour, to bake bakery products, and to obtain food for domestic animals. An example of cultivated plants is buckwheat. In economic activities, whole and crushed grains and flour are used.

Grain crops are different big amount carbohydrates and proteins. Their high nutritional value is also determined by the content of enzymes, B vitamins and PP.

Legumes and starches

Examples of cultivated plants that have been grown by people for a long time are soybeans, seed peas, lentils, and peanuts. Since they are rich in proteins, they energy value not inferior to meat products. Soybeans and peanuts contain a supply of vegetable fats, so oils are obtained from them.

The most famous starch-bearing plant is the potato. It is not for nothing that they call it “second bread”. For a long time people thought that potatoes should be eaten as food. Therefore, it did not receive much distribution. Are actually edible underground modifications shoots - tubers. Potatoes are used in cooking to obtain medicines against inflammation and burns.

Starchy crops also include sweet potato, corn, cassava, and yams. The record holder among them is rightfully considered the sago palm. More than 100 kilograms of starch are extracted from the trunk of one such tree.

Vegetables and fruits

Vegetable crops are important agricultural plants. It's hard to imagine your daily diet without tomatoes, cabbage, and sweet peppers. They are grouped by the name of the organ from which the vegetable develops.

Depending on this, leaf, root, bulbous and fruit and vegetable crops are distinguished. Examples of the first group are lettuce, spinach, sorrel, and borage. Nutritious root vegetables develop in carrots, beets, rutabaga, radishes, celery, and parsnips. But there are especially many examples of cultivated plants that belong to the group of fruits and vegetables. These are eggplants, zucchini, pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, physalis and others.

A separate group of cultivated plants consists of fruit species. They are grown for their berries, fruits and nuts. Many of them are tree-like. These are cherries, apricots, sweet cherries, peaches, apple trees. These perennials, the period of fruiting of which begins after several years of development.

Shrubs also produce valuable fruits: pomegranate, dogwood, hazel, currant, gooseberry. Grapes are a vine plant, and strawberries, wild strawberries, cranberries and cloudberries are perennial herbs.

In tropical countries, various types of palms are widespread: date, coconut, and oilseed. Many people believe that bananas also belong to this group. In fact, this plant is herbaceous.

So, cultivated plants are the species that are grown by humans to produce agricultural products. It is used as food, animal feed, and raw material for the processing and pharmaceutical industries.