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On
the fifth floor is Permanent Exhibition Hall. Don’t miss out
any of the six exciting sections: plants, insects,
invertebrates, vertebrates I & II, and earth science
section. |
 Click each section.
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The Plants Section exhibits a
variety of plants including marine plants, medicinal
plants, naturalized plants, and plant resources. Vivid
pictures, detailed descriptions, life-size models, and
actual specimens attract the visitors. |
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 About Plants...
Plants, together with animals, form the gigantic biological world. Since their first appearance
on the earth, plants have evolved from primitive level to over 300,000 species
today. Plants are everywhere due to their strong adaptability, and for this
reason plants play important role in food chain. Not only are plants used for
foods but also for clothes, weapons, dyes, tools, housings, medicines, and more.
Endemic Plants
Korean endemic
plants include diamond
bluebell(hanabusaya), Korean winter hazel,
abeliophyllum, megalanthis,
hylomecon, echinosophora
, and etc.
Naturalized Plants and Environmental Preservation
Naturalized plants are the foreign plants that adjusted to Korean soil. These prolific
plants grow wild in the fields showing great viability that they hinder other
plants from growing. To protect the native plants and to preserve the
ecosystem, considerable efforts should be directed to controlling the
distribution of naturalized plants.
Plant Resources
Plants have been useful
resources for human since the ancient times. According to their specific uses,
plants can be divided into the following four categories.
- Plants for Medicinal Use
About 300 species of medicinal
plants are being traded in the Korean market. In most cases, medicinal plants
have poisonous elements, so special care is needed for intake. (e.g. hawthorn,
pheasant leg, roe deer urine)
- Plants for Food
Out of 400 species of wild plants, about 300 species are
edible. Edible plants are categorized as grains, fruits, vegetables, spices,
and favorite foods. (e.g. pepper, coffee, etc.)
- Plants for the Dye Industry
About 50 species of plants are used for the dye industry. These plants
produce a variety of colors when combined with mordant such as lye, lime, and
alum. (e.g. indigo plant, safflower, etc.)
- Plants for Industrial Use
About 130 species of plants
are used for manufacturing furniture, machine, paper, and construction
materials. (e.g. paper mulberry, lacquer, etc.)
Reproduction of Plants
How do plants spread their seeds?
- By Wind :
The seeds of dandelion, willow, and maple have the
structures similar to feathers or wings.
- By Animals : When animals take
fruits that have seeds with sarcocarp, the indigested
seeds are ejected. (e.g. mistletoe, wild ginseng,
(ribes fasciculatum S. et Z. var.
chinense Max.), etc.) Certain seeds are covered
with sticky material or have protruded structure that
they stick to animals’ hair. (e.g. burweed, Spanish
needles, desmodium oxyphyllum
DC, etc.)
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Automatically :
These seeds are spread when ripened fruits burst open. (e.g. bean, crane’s-bill, touch-me-not, etc.)
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All contents Copyrights 2002 Ewha Womans University Natural History Museum
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