Question

Which part of the gourd plant is modified? How does it help?

Answer 1

Hint: Crop plants in the family Cucurbitaceae, like pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons are described as gourd plants. Most of the gourd plants are cultivated as ornamentals or food crops and some can be dried and used to make utensils, cups, bottles, scoops, pipes and other useful things. In certain plants, different parts of the plant such as root or stem modify to perform functions that are beneficial for the plant such as storage of food and providing mechanical support.

Complete answer:
The fruits of some flowering plant species of the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly the Cucurbita and Lagenaria, can be termed as gourds. It refers to a number of species and subspecies, in which many have hard shells, and some without.
The climbers have weak stem such as gourd, grapevine and passion flower. For overcoming this, the stems of these plants develop a threadlike structure called as tendrils. Tendrils are a type of aerial stem modification. When the tendrils come in contact with a solid support, it coils around them and hence support these plants in climbing. The tendrils provide support for the plant. Thus, the stem of the gourd plant is modified into tendrils and helps them in climbing and support.
The different types of tendrils are:
Axillary tendrils
Extra axillary tendrils
Apical bud tendrils
Floral bud tendrils

Thus, the stem of the gourd plant is modified into tendrils and helps them in climbing and support.

Note:
The tendrils are responsive to touch and chemical factors by curling, twining, and adhering to suitable structures or hosts. The coiling mechanism of tendril begins with circumnutation of tendrils. Here, it moves and grows in a circular oscillatory pattern around its axis. The first main movement of the tendril is the circumnutation and it serves as a purpose of increasing the chance that the plant will come in contact with a support system.