Nature has given marijuana an extraordinary beauty. Each bush is unique in its own way and has its own characteristics. Despite this, just like any other plant, cannabis has a certain structure, the same for Indica, Sativa, and wild Ruderalis. Knowing the anatomy of cannabis will help growers better understand the plant and its needs, as well as reveal some aspects of development. The feminized strains are of course of main interest to growers because they produce female plants whose inflorescences contain THC. So our article will focus on these and medical marijuana doctors in ct https://dr-weedy.com/connecticut/.
The gender of cannabis
Let’s start with the fact that cannabis comes in two genders, male and female. Despite this simple division, there are also hermaphrodites which possess the qualities of both. The inflorescences, commonly called “buds” or “bosoms”, grow on female cannabis plants. Only the ones that have not been pollinated are of value. They are called “sensimilla. The pollinated buds stop synthesizing the psychoactive components, switching to seed formation. This decreases the potential of the effect by many times.
Male plants form pollen sacs, which, when opened, send the pollen to “free flight”. Hermaphrodites can pollinate female plants as well as themselves. For this reason, you should get rid of them as soon as possible if you find them in your plot.
To get exclusively female plants, you should use feminized cannabis seeds.
Stakes
The branches on which the inflorescences are located are called “stakes”. Each plant has a “central” or “main” cola. It is usually the largest and has the most buds. The side branches that grow from between the internodes are called “secondary stakes. Usually they are smaller and so are the cones. However, you can increase the mass of the secondary stakes by adopting special training methods such as LST or ScrOG. It is also worth bearing in mind that the central stake may mature earlier than the others. Most often this is due to uneven light distribution.
Leaves
This part of the plant is the real “logo” of cannabis, which is used by many cannabis enthusiasts and marketers. A healthy marijuana leaf has 5-7 small segments, which in turn have distinctive teeth on the edges. The cannabis leaves are a bit different from each other. The Indica leaves are shorter and can touch, while the Sativa leaves are elongated and finer in shape. The foliage’s primary function is photosynthesis, gas exchange, and respiration.
Calyxes
Simply put, these are the flowers of female marijuana plants. They are shaped like a small droplet. On any cannabis inflorescence, you can see a large number of these drop-shaped outgrowths that are hidden among the small, sugary leaves. The calyxes are abundantly covered with trichomes, which are where the main active ingredients of marijuana are found.
Pistils
These are small orange hairs that are visible to the naked eye. They are also called stigmas. The main function of this part of the plant is reproduction. The pistils catch the pollen of male plants, after which the process of seed formation begins. Stigmas grow from the calyxes, initially have a white color, over time darkening and becoming orange or brown. They also serve as a good indicator of crop maturity.
Trichomes
To see this important part of cannabis, you’ll have to arm yourself with a magnifying glass or microscope. Trichomes are small glandular hairs that secrete terpenes and cannabinoids, particularly THC. If you don’t use magnifying equipment, you can see them as a dense white coating on cones and foliage.
A selection of varieties with high THC content.
The trichomes also signal the maturity level of the bush. Initially, they are small and transparent and hardly visible. As they mature, the trichomes become larger, elongated and cloudy in color. In the final stage of the cannabis life cycle, they turn amber. This color is due to the oxidation of the cannabinoids.
Modern breeders are constantly working on creating new varieties, improving existing ones and inventing unique hybrids. But for all the advancement of modern science, nature rarely makes mistakes that need to be corrected by humans. The basic structure of cannabis has remained the same for thousands of years.