How Plants Are Classified
6.2-3: Compare the characteristic structures of various
groups of plants (including vascular or nonvascular, seed
or spore-producing, flowering or cone-bearing, and
monocot or dicot).
Taxonomy level: 2.6-B Understand Conceptual
Knowledge
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Essential Question
What are the main ways scientists
classify plants?
Video Information
• Promethean Board Activity
vascular_nonvascular_plants.flp
Classification
Plants are commonly classified into
two major groups based on their
internal structures. These two
groups are vascular and nonvascular.
Vascular Plants
• This is the largest group in the Plant Kingdom.
• These plants have a well-developed system for
transporting water and food; therefore, they
have true roots, stems, and leaves.
• Vascular plants have tube-like structures that
provide support and help circulate water and
food throughout the plant.
Vascular Plant Structures
• Xylem transport water and minerals from the
roots to the rest of the plant.
• Phloem transport food from the leaves to the
rest of the plant.
Vascular Plants
• Examples include
trees and many
shrubs with
woody stems that
grow very tall and
grasses,
dandelions, and
tomato plants
with soft
herbaceous stems.
Have you heard Buzz Lightyear’s
new nickname?
It’s herbaceous….because he’s not
Woody!
Nonvascular Plants
• These plants do not have a well-developed
system for transporting water and food;
therefore, do not have true roots, stems, or
leaves.
• They must obtain nutrients directly from the
environment and distribute it from cell to cell
throughout the plant.
Nonvascular Plants
• This usually results in these plants being very
small in size.
• Examples include mosses, liverworts, and
hornworts.
Answer the EQ.
Celery and Carrot Lab
• What happened to the color of the celery
leaves? What vascular structure is responsible
for this change?
• Look at the end of the celery. Do you see any
tubes that are also colored? What is the
name of these vascular structures?
• Create a detailed drawing of the end of the
celery. Label the structure you identified
above.
Lab continued
• Now look at the cross-section of the carrot.
Do you see the tubes?
• Draw a detailed sketch of the carrot. Which
tubes are the phloem and which are the
xylem? Use the Internet to research and then
label the structures correctly on your sketch.
Definitions to know
• Use your book or notes to define each key
term.
1. Vascular
2. Non-vascular
3. Xylem
4. Phloem
5. Woody
6. Herbaceous