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Key Terms for the Unit: •classification •vascular •non-vascular •seed producer •non-seed producer •angiosperm •gymnosperm
Plants Sorted into Groups
Plants Sorted into Groups
I can identify plants that are vascular and plants that are nonvascular. (Knowledge)
I can identify vascular plants as either seed producers or non-seed producers. (Knowledge)
I can differentiate vascular from nonvascular plants. (Reasoning)
I can differentiate vascular plants into seed producers and non-seed producers. (Reasoning)
I can use multiple sources of data to differentiate vascular and nonvascular plants. (Skill)
I can use multiple data sources to develop a model that shows how plants are sorted into groups. (Skill)
I can develop a model to show how plants can be sorted as either vascular or nonvascular. (Product)
I can develop a model to show how vascular plants can be sorted as either seed producers or non-seed producers. (Product)
Plants are all unique regarding physical appearance, structure, and physiological behavior. Aside from that, they also vary in their habitats, tolerance, and nutrient requirement.
So with that kind of diversity, the big question is, how do you exactly start to classify them? Good thing botanists have already devised ways to classify them. In fact, classifying plants is considered as one of the oldest approaches in studying botany.
In general, botanists group plants into two major groups: non-vascular and vascular. The former being composed of early plants while the latter consists of plants which had developed a vascular system.
One question to ask when sorting plants is "Do the plant have seeds or spores?"
One question to ask when sorting plants is "Do the plant have seeds or spores?"
Plants can be placed into two groups: seed producers and non-seed producers. Seed producers produce flowers or cones. Apple trees, lilies, and roses are examples of flowering plants. Conifers produce cones. Cedar trees and pines are examples of conifers. Seedless plants produce spores. Ferns and mosses produce spores. Non-seed producing plants use spores to reproduce. Seed-producing plants can be either flowering plants or conifers.
Angiosperm - Plants that produce seeds (seed plants) - flowering plants (dandelion, daisy, and apple trees), and conifers (cone plants, like a pine tree).
Gymnosperm - Plants that do not produce seeds or are seedless, produce spores (ferns, mosses, liverworts and green algae).
Vascular
Vascular
The green plants of varying shapes and sizes, which comprise a specialized xylem and phloem vessels for water, minerals and food conduction, and along with that also possess a true root and shoot system. These plants grow larger in size. These possess deep roots that are specialized to absorb water through osmosis.
Vascular plants are grouped according to how they reproduce. Specifically, the various types of vascular plants are classified by whether they produce spores or seeds to make new plants. Vascular plants that reproduce by seed evolved highly specialized tissue that helped them spread across the land.
The vascular system of plants is made up of xylem and phloem.
Nonvascular
Nonvascular
The green and microscopic plants with poorly developed root and shoot system, and do not have a vascular system or the mechanics for water and food transportation. This group of plants are generally microscopic or grow relatively smaller compared with non-vascular plants. These plants lack deep root system and solely depend on osmosis and diffusion to absorb water passively.
The stem of leafy liverworts is usually green. Unlike the mosses, the liverworts do not have any specialized tissue for internal water or nutrient conduction in the stem.
Seed Producers
Seed Producers
The two major types of seed-producing plants are the gymnosperms (seeds in cones) and angiosperms (seeds in ovaries of flowers).
Angiosperms produce flowers, which are special structures for reproduction. They contain male parts that make pollen and female parts that contain ovules. Some plants have these male and female parts in different flowers. Pollen is carried from a male part to a female part by wind or animals (a process called pollination), where it releases male gametes that fertilise the female gametes in the ovules. The ovules develop into seeds, from which new plants will grow. In most angiosperms, part of the flower develops into fruit, which protects the seeds inside them. Fruit can be soft like oranges or hard like nuts. Flowering plants form the biggest group of seed plants, with about 300,000 species around the world – that’s 90% of the whole plant kingdom. Flowering plants are all around us, even if sometimes we don’t recognize them as having flowers.
Characteristics Common to All Seed Plants:
Characteristics Common to All Seed Plants:
leaves - are where photosynthesis takes place and where food is stored
stems - help support the plant and hold the cells for photosynthesis, food and water transport, as well as cells for reproduction, where the flowers are located, which then turn into seeds that create more plants
roots - generally underground and help to anchor the plant in place, absorb water and nutrients from the soil and store it for later use as it is needed
vascular system - carry moisture and nutrients to all parts of the plant and to maintain its upright structure, damage to these tissues can cause its death.
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Most gymonsperms are trees. These seed plants do not have flowers or fruit - their seeds are held in cones. Male cones make pollen, which is carried to female cones by the wind. After the female gametes are fertilized by male gametes from the pollen, the female cones produce seeds. These are then scattered away from the plant by wind or animals.
The word "gymnosperm" comes from the Greek word gymnospermos, meaning "naked seeds". The largest group of living gymnosperms are the conifers (pines, cypresses and relatives) and the smallest is ginkgo, a single living plant species found in China.
Conifer / Conferious - a tree that bears cones and needle-like or scale-like leaves that are typically evergreen.
Nonseed Producers
Nonseed Producers
Non-seed plants (seedless) do not require seeds to reproduce and grow into new plants. Instead of using seeds, non-seed plants use structures called spores to create new versions of themselves. Like seed plants, some non-seed plants are able to produce their own food through photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert the sun’s energy into sugar. Meanwhile, others depend on organic materials for feeding.
Algae
Algae
Classification of algae is very difficult because there is such a great variety in species. Algae are a type of plant that do not produce seeds and do not have roots, stems, or leaves. Algae are also microorganisms, other than typical land plants, that can carry on photosynthesis. Algae are sometimes considered as protists with chloroplasts.
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