Plant Classification
Group 1: Seedless, Nonvascular Plants
• Live in moist
environments
• Liverworts
• Hornworts
• Mosses
Mosses
• Nonvascular,
seedless
• Grow low to ground
to retain moisture
• Lack true leaves
– Leaf-like structures
only 1 cell thick
• Rhizoids anchor into
soil
• Early inhabitant of
new ecosystems
(succession)
Group 2: Seedless, Vascular Plants
• Vascular system
allows nutrient
transport to greater
heights
• Club mosses
• Horsetails
• Ferns
Ferns
• Seedless, vascular plants
– Vascular: allows taller growth
• Rhizoids: underground stems draw nutrients
• Fronds: leaves uncurl
– sporangia on underside
• Sori: clusters of sporangia
Group 3: Seed producing, Vascular Plants
• Gymnosperms
– Cycads
– Ginko
– Conifers
• Angiosperms
Group 3: Seed producing, Vascular Plants
• 1) Seed plants don’t depend
on water to reproduce
– Pollen (contains sperm)
combines with egg
– Egg hardens into a seed
• 2) Nourishment and
protection
– Nourish: Nutrients inside
seed for the embryo
– Protection: Hard shell
• 3) Allow dispersal
– Carried by wind, water,
animals
Group 3: Seed producing, Vascular Plants
• Type 1: Gymnosperms
• Seeds not enclosed in a
fruit
– produced inside cones
• Cone = reproductive
structure
• Male cones: produce
pollen
• Female cones: produce
eggs and seeds
Group 3: Seed producing, Vascular Plants
• Gymosperm example:
Conifers
– Cone plants
– Needle-like leaves
– Common to lumber
industry
– Evergreen, Pine,
Redwood, Cedar
Group 3: Seed producing, Vascular Plants
• Type 2: Angiosperms
(flowering plants)
• Flower = reproductive
structure
– Protects gamete
and fertilized eggs
• Seeds enclosed in a
fruit
– Fruit: Plant ovary
– Often attract
animals to disperse
the seeds inside
Fruit Production
• In the seed
– Embryo
– Food supply
• Surrounding ovary grows into a
fruit
• Fruit attracts animals to eat and
spread the seeds
Fruit seeds in fox droppings
Angiosperm types
(flowering plants)
• 2 groups: Monocots and Dicots (based on seed
type)
• Cotyledon: embryonic leaf
• Monocots: embryo with 1 seed leaf
• Dicots: embryo with 2 seed leaves
Monocots vs. Dicots
Angiosperm Life Spans
• Three Life Span Types:
• Annuals
– 1 year: Mature…produce
seeds…die
• Biennials
– 1st year: produces short
stem, low growth leaves,
food reserves
– 2nd year: taller stem, leaves,
flowers, seeds
• Perennials
– Live for more than 2 years
Flowers
• Reproductive
structure of flowering
plants
• Sepals
– outer ring of leaves
– protection
• Petals
– Inner ring of leaves
– Brightly colored to
attract pollinators
• Open petals & sepals
reveal male and
female structures
Flowers
• Female Carpel
– Inner most part
– Ovary: within the
base (female
gametophyte)
– Style: long stalk
– Stigma: sticky
tip, collects
pollen
• Male Stamen
– Surrounds carpel
– Filaments: long
stalks
– Anther: produces
pollen (male
gametophyte)