Plant Classification

plants are of many types and can be classified on multiple basis. Here we are sharing a very simplistic way of plant classification –

• All phanerogams are Vascular plants while Cryptogams can further divided based on the vascular system.

Cryptogams Classification, without seeds

Non-vascular plants – Thalophyta and Bryophyta

• Thalophyta – It is the largest group of plant kingdom. The body of these plants are not differentiated into root, stem and leaves. There are no cunducting tissues in these plants.
  • It is subdivided into two groups Algae and Fungi. [click here to read more about algae and fungi]
• Bryophyte – This is the first group of land plants. They also lacks root, stem and leaves, but they look like they have.
  • It lacks xylem and phloem tissue.
  • The moss namely sphagnum is used for water conduction. It can soak water 18 times of it’s own weight.
  • The sphagnum is used as fuel and antiseptic.

vascular plants – Pteridophyta

• Pteridophyta – The plant sof this group is found in wet shady places, forests and mountains. Plants fragmented into root, stem and leaves. stem remains as normal rhizome.
  • Reproduction occurs by spores produced inside the sporangia. Gametophytic phase is short lived, which is called prothallus.
  • Plants of this community have conducting tissues. but xylem does not contain vessels and phloem does not contain companion cells.

‘Mosses [bryophytes] and ferns [pteridophytes] are also called as Amphibian category of plant kingdom.’

Phanerogams Classification, seed bearing

This group is divided into two based on the naked seed [Gymnosperm] and covered seed [Angiosperm]

• Gymnosperm – These plants are in the form of trees and bushes. Plants are well divided into root, stem and leaves. Its tap root are well developed.
  • Pollination takes place through air.
  • The longest plant of plant kingdom Sequoia gigentia comes under this division. The plant is also called Red Wood of California.
  • Corolloid root of cycas help in absorption of water and fixation of nitrogen.
  • The pollen grains of pinus are so much in number that later it turns into Sulphur showers.
• Angiosperm – In these plants the seeds are found inside the fruits. These are fully developed root, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds.
  • Plants of this group may have seed coad in seeds. On the basis of number of cotyledons plants are divided into two categories –

MONOCOTYLEDON	DICOTYLEDON
Those plants which has only one cotyledon in seed.	Those plants which have two cotyledon in seed
Ex- Garlic, Onion, Date, Wheat, Sugercane etc.	Ex – Radish, Mustard, Lady’s finger, Sunflower, Potato, Tomato etc.

Important point of plants

1. Leaves are the lungs of the plants.
2. Banana is a shurb.
3. Pulses are obtained from the family Leguminancae.
4. Chloroplast found in sugercane plant shows diamorphism.
5. Golden rice contains β– carotene gene which comes from carrot. It is a variety of rice produced by bioengineering.
6. Potato, Tomato and Brinjal are three different species but all belong to genus Solanum.