Kinds of Plants Nonvascular Plants Seedless Vascular Plants Nonflowering Seed Plants Flowering Seed Plants

I. Nonvascular Plants *do not have a vascular system for transporting water and other nutrients within their bodies *they lack true roots, stems, and leaves (true roots, stems, and leaves contain vascular tissue)

Key Features: 1. small – water and nutrients are transported within the plant by osmosis and diffusion, which can move material only short distances therefore limiting their size 2. require water for sexual reproduction – must be covered by a film of water in order for fertilization to occur

Examples of Nonvascular Plants: mosses (Phylum Bryophyta) – most have a cuticle, stomata, and some simple conducting cells liverworts (Phylum Hepatophyta) – have no cuticle, stomata, or conducting cells hornworts (Phylum Anthocerophyta) – no conducting cells, but have both stomata and a cuticle

Moss Hornwort Liverwort

II. Seedless Vascular Plants Key Features: 1. vascular system – have a xylem and phloem; have true roots, stems ,and leaves 2. no seeds are produced 3. drought resistance spores – spores have thick walls resistant to drying

Examples of Seedless Vascular Plants: ferns (Phylum Pterophyta) – are sporophtes that have a rhizome(underground stem) that is anchored by roots and leaves called fronds club mosses (Phylum Lycophyta) – unlike true mosses, they have roots, stems, and leaves horsetails (Phylum Sphenophyta) – have roots, stems, and leaves whisk ferns (Phylum Psilophyta) – have highly branched stems and no leaves or roots

Fern Horsetail Club Moss Whisk Fern

III. Non-Flowering Seed Plants: Gymnosperms *are seed plants whose seeds do not develop within a sealed container (a fruit) Greek words: gymos – naked sperma – seed

Key Features: 1. “naked” seeds 2. no flowers are produced 3. wind pollination

Examples of Gymnosperms: conifers (Phylum Coniferophyta) – pines, junipers cycads (Phylum Cycadophyta) –short stems & palm like leaves ginkgo (Phylum Ginkgophyta) gnetophytes (Phylum Gnetophyta)

Cycad Conifer Ginkgo Gnetophyte

IV. Flowering Seed Plants: Angiosperms *flowering seed plants that produce seeds that develop within an enclosed specialized structure called a fruit Greek words: angeion – case sperma – seed

Key Features: 1. flowers 2. fruit 3. endosperms – stored food

Examples of Angiosperms: monocots – flowering plants that produce seeds with one seed leaf (cotyledon) ex: iris, lily, grass aloe vera, wheat, corn dicots – flowering plants that produce seeds with two seed leaves (cotyledons) ex:; daisies, roses, lettuce, beans

Dicots Monocots

NONVASCULAR PLANTS

Complete the following chart by checking all that apply for each organism. Organism Vascular System Roots Seeds Flowers mosses ferns conifers flowering plants

Complete the following chart by checking all that apply for each organism. Organism Vascular System Roots Seeds Flowers mosses ferns conifers flowering plants