Download Summary of the groups of the Plant Kingdom

Summary of the groups of the Plant Kingdom
I. Non-Vascular Plants
A. Bryophytes
1. Hepaticae: Liverworts
2. Anthocerotae: Hornworts
3. Musci: Mosses (FOCUS)
II. Vascular Plants
A. Seedless Vascular Plants
1. Psilophyta: Whisk ferns
2. Lycophyta: Club mosses and spike mosses
3. Sphenophyta: Horsetails
4. Pterophyta: Ferns (FOCUS)
B. Seed Plants
1. Gymnosperms: Non flowering Plants
a. Cycadophyta: Cycads
b. Coniferophyta: Conifers (FOCUS)
c. Ginkgophyta: Ginkgo
d. Gnetophyta: Gnetum, Ephedra and Welwitchia
2. Angiosperms: Flowering Plants
a. Dicotyledons: Dicots.
b. Monocotyledons: Monocots
Generalized Plant Life Cycle
The plant kingdom includes organisms that form embryos and distinctive spore bearing structures
called sporangium/sporangia. Most members of the plant kingdom also produce multicellular
male and female sex organs known by the generic name of gametangium/or gametangia or the
more precise antheridia and archegonia, for male and female gametangia respectively.
The plant life cycle, or reproductive cycle is characterized by the phenomenon of alternation of
generations in which a diploid, spore producing phase (sporophyte) alternates with a haploid,
gamete producing phase (gametophyte).
In the sporophyte specialized cells within the sporangium undergo meiosis to produce haploid
cells. Meiosis usually take places in structures called spThese haploid cells are called spores.
By cell reproduction (mitosis) and growth the spores develop into a multicellular gametophyte
body or the gametophyte generation. The haploid gametophyte generation produces the
gametes, sperm and egg, which fuse to form a diploid zygote (fertilization). The zygote
represents the first cell or the next sporophyte generation and develops by cell reproduction and
growth into a multicellular sporophyte.