20.

3 Diversity of Flowering Plants

KEY CONCEPT
The largest phylum in the plant kingdom is the
flowering plants.
20.3 Diversity of Flowering Plants
Flowering plants have unique adaptations that allow them
to dominate in today’s world.
• Flowers allow for efficient pollination.
– animals feed on pollen or nectar
– pollen is spread from plant to plant in process
20.3 Diversity of Flowering Plants

• Fruit allows for efficient seed dispersal.

– Fruit is flower’s ripened ovary
– Surrounds and protects seed(s)
– Many forms, each function in seed dispersal
20.3 Diversity of Flowering Plants
Botanists classify flowering plants into two groups based
on seed type.
20.3 Diversity of Flowering Plants

• Dicots have two seed leaves.

– leaf veins usually netlike
– flower parts usually in multiples of 4 or 5
– bundles of vascular tissue in rings in stem
20.3 Diversity of Flowering Plants
Flowering plants are also categorized by stem type and
lifespan.
• Stem type can be woody or herbaceous.
– Wood is a fibrous
material made up of
dead cells.
– Wood has high
concentrations of
lignin and cellulose.
– Woody stems
are stiff.
Oak
20.3 Diversity of Flowering Plants
Flowering plants are also categorized by stem type and
lifespan.
• Stem type can be woody or herbaceous.
– Wood is a fibrous
material made up of
dead cells.
– Wood has high
concentrations of
lignin and cellulose.
– Woody stems
are stiff.

Iris
20.3 Diversity of Flowering Plants

• There are three types of plant lifespans.

Wheat
20.3 Diversity of Flowering Plants

• There are three types of plant life spans.

– Annuals mature from seed,
flower, and die in one year.

Foxglove
20.3 Diversity of Flowering Plants

• There are three types of plant life spans.

– Annuals mature from seed, flower, and die in one year.
– Biennials take two years to compete life cycle.

Big bluestem