Umuthi

'UMuthi yisitshalo esiphila inkathi ende, esidengokuphakama esinamagatsha namacembe, esakhiwe ngokhuni noma esinamagxolo. Ezinye izincasiselo zibala  ilala, uhlinzamfuku, idangabane, nezinhlobo zoqalo.

Imithi aziveli kukhokho oyedwa, Kodwa zinendabuko engafani nemiqhinqa ehlukahlukene eyavela ugodo amagatsha ukuze  idlondlobale ngaphezu kwezinye izitshalo ukuze ithole ukukhanya kwelanga. Iningi lemiqhinqa yemithi ingamathelambali (angiosperm) noma amagodonzica (hardwood); bese ezinye zona zingamabekambewu (gymnosperm) noma amagodontobo. Imithi ivame ukuba nempilo ende, eminye efinyelela emawakeni eminyaka ubudala. Imithi yokuqala yavela eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingama-400 edlule, futhi kuqagelwa ukuba kunemithi eyizigidiyaca emikhulu emhlabeni wonke.

Imithi I amagatsha amaningi athwelwe isibhukuza sogodo esinezikhwepha zezicubu zokhuni, nemithambo engaphakathi ekwazi ukuthwala izithako ezisuka kwenye ingxenye yawo ziye kwenye. Isibhukuza somuthi simbozwe ungqimba lamagxolo oluyisivikelo. Ngaphansi komuthi enhlabathini, kukhona izimpande ezisakazeka kabanzi; eziyisisekelo somuthi futhi ezimonyula umswakama nemisoco enhlabathini. Ngaphezulu kwenhlabathi, kunamagatsha, nemixhantela yawo emincane engamahlume. Amahlume (shoots) came ukuhluma amacembe, okuyiwona abamba isidlakalasi sokukhanya asiphendule izincithi ngenqubo yomdibakhanya, ukuze kube nokudla okuzokhulisa umuthi.

Imithi ithela eminye imithi ngembewu. Izitshalo eziqhakazayo zinembewu phakathi kwezithelo zazo, kuyilapho conifers zithwala imbewu yazo ngezitshopo, bese izikhomane zona zithela ngezinhlamvuyana. 

Imithi onamagalelo abalulekile ekunciphiseni ukuguguleka kwenhlabathi, nasekulawuleni isimo sezulu. Iyakwazi ukususa umCalahle ontuhlambili kumoyambulunga futhi iqoqonga amacala womCalahle ezicubwini zayo. Imithi namahlathi ziyikhaya lezilwane eziningi nezitshalo. Zibuye zihlinzeke ngethunzi, imijanjatho, nesivamelo zokufudumeza, nokudla.

Category:Izihlahla