Anatomy and Morphology of the Cannabis Plant
Knowing the parts of the cannabis and understanding their roles can help you pick out the highest quality strains at The New Amsterdam. In this post, we will covering the anatomy of the female cannabis plant, because the males do not produce cannabis flower we all know and love.
Just like most plants, cannabis begins with roots that transition into a stam. The cannabis stem is long and thin. The intersections between new stem offshoots and older stems is called the Node. The nodes are used to tell the sex of the plant, as indicators to when the plant is ready to be pruned, at the plant’s temperature needs. Then there are the iconic marijuana fan leaves, and at the very top is the cola, which is where the flower blooms from. There are numerous colas amongst the budding sites below the main cola at the top.
The flower itself originates from a small nodule called the calyx. These small nodules are shaped like a water drop are what form the flower itself. Nodes normally have a large collection of trichomes on them.
Trichomes are the glands that secrete cannabinoids. When you look at a flower, the shining crystals on the tiny leaves, called sugar leaves, the crystallized secretions of Terpenes, THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. An flower with a lot of these crystallizations will have higher cannabinoid counts, and typically be higher quality bud.
Finally, come the pistils. The pistils are the small, orangish brown, hairs that sprout from the flower. Although the pistils and a certain amount of aesthetic pleasure, they barely effect the potentency or flavor of the bud.