Part one

     

 Introduction

                    There are millions of organisms living on Earth. These organisms differ in shape, size, structure, e.t.c. When studying such a vast biodiversity, the necessity of classification emerged. According to Robert H. Vitaker's  5-kingdom classification, organisms were classified into:

• Monera

• Protista

• Fungi

• Plantae

• Animalia

              In this blog, organisms are classified under 3 main groups:

•  Plants

• Animals

•  Micro-organisms

Plants

                           Plants are divided into 2 main groups as follows

• Flowering Plants (Angiospermae)                 
• Non Flowering Plants                 

            

Flowering plants

Non Flowering Plants

                                     
                 

 Flowering Plants

            Plants which bear flowers are known as flowering plants or angiospermae. These plants are further divided into 2 groups depending on the number of cotyledons (seed leaves) in their seeds.




   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•  Monocotyledonous Plants                                                

  

  Monocotyledonous leaf

         
  

          One cotyledon in seed.                                                      

          Fibrous root system in plant. 
          Generally unbranched  stem.
          Hollow stem.
          Parallel venation in leaves.
          Narrow leaves.                                                        

          Flower parts in multiples of 3.
       Examples:Grass, Bamboo,Paddy, Coconut

• 

  Dicotyledonous leaf

  Dicotyledonous Plants                                                           

  Two cotyledons in seed
  Tap root system in plant 
  Generally branched stem 
  Solid stem. 
  Reticulated (Networked) venation in leaves. 
  Broad leaves.   
  Flower parts in multiples of  4 /5.  
  Examples:Mango, Beans,Chillie, Banyan  

 Non Flowering Plants 

         Non flowering plants can be further classified into 2 groups :

• Non flowering plants with seeds (Gymnospermae)

                      These plants propagate through seeds.These seeds are 'naked' or open, because they do not produce fruits or flowers.

             Examples : Cycas  - In this plant, the male & female plants exist separately.The female plant has   mega sporophyll, & the male plant has a cone with micro sporophyll.

                                 Pinus - These plants are conifers, or  cone-bearing plants.Open seeds are located on cones. 

                                

Pinus

Cycas

• Non flowering plants without seeds

Liverwort- Marchantia

               Propagation of these plants occur through spores. 
Examples :

Bryophyta-
    These are of 2 types :Liverworts-Marchantia
                                     Moss- Poganatum

                    

Selaginella

Lycophyta - Selaginella                                    
                    






                  

Drynaria

                 
Pterophyta (Ferns) - Drynaria, Nephrolepis