Introduction

The kingdom Plantae constitutes large and varied groups

of organisms. There are more than 300,000 species of
classified plants. Of these, more than 260,000 are seed
plants. But mosses and ferns are also members of the plant
kingdom. Most biologists also consider some green algae
to be plants, although others exclude all algae from the
plant kingdom. The reason for this disagreement stems
from the fact that not all algae but only green algae, the
Chlorophytes and Charophytes, share common
characteristics with land plants.
Characteristics of Plants
Organisms living on land have to solve several challenges in the
terrestrial environment such as:
 Desiccation, or drying out, is a constant danger for an organism
exposed to air. Even when parts of a plant are close to a source of
water, other parts are in danger of drying out.
 On land, plants need to develop structural support.
 The land organisms are also subject to radiation coming from the sun
because air does not filter out ultraviolet rays of sunlight.
 The male gametes must reach the female gametes and both gametes
and zygotes must be protected from desiccation.
Not all plants have strategies to cope with all at once. Some
species never move very far from the aquatic environment,
whereas others have structures to conquer the driest
environments on Earth. Plants need temperatures above freezing
while they are actively growing and photosynthesizing. They also
need sunlight, carbon dioxide and water for photosynthesis. Like
most other organisms, plants need oxygen for cellular respiration
and minerals to build proteins and other organic molecules. Most
plants support themselves above the ground with stems in order
to get light, carbon dioxide and oxygen. Most plants also grow
roots down into the soil to absorb water and minerals.
During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide from
the air and water from the soil. Plant cells with the light
absorbing pigment chlorophyll transform the water and the
carbon dioxide into glucose by using the energy from the
sunlight. Oxygen is produced as a by product. The plant
then releases the oxygen into the air. The chlorophyll, the
light absorbing pigment, which is responsible for giving
the plant its green color, absorbs energy from the sunlight
and make the energy from the sun available for food
production. Unlike prokaryotic organisms, the
chlorophylls are placed in an organelle called chloroplast.
Plants are multicellular eukaryotes: Eukaryotes are
organisms whose cells contain a nucleus and other
membrane-bound organelles. All plants are
multicellular.
Plants need external factors for reproduction: As
non-motile organisms, plants are dependent on
external factors, such as wind, water, or animals, to
complete sexual reproduction and disperse their
genetic presence to distant locations. In the simplest
land plants, sperm cells swim to eggs through water.
Plants are photosynthetic: Plants are primarily photo
autotrophs (autotrophs that use light) except obligate
parasitic plants, they can produce their organic food by
photosynthesis in which oxygen is released as a byproduct.
Most life on Earth depends on photosynthesis.
Plant growth is limitless: Most plants have no defined size
or shape, though some have a well-defined lifespan. They
expand indefinitely, adding new photosynthetic and
absorptive organs throughout their life. Growth in plants
is carried out in specialized tissues called meristems.
Diversity of Plants
An incredible variety of plants populates the terrestrial
landscape. From simple to complex designs, plants may
grow across the forest floor, on rocks, on other plants or
even on animals. While seed plants have adaptations that
allow them to populate even the most arid habitats on
Earth, dependence on water is the major factor that
defines their distribution in all plants. In plant
classification, the formation of seed (and flower) during
reproduction is one of the major characteristics and the
presence of a transport system is the second one.
The physical characteristics are common to all
plants but within the plant kingdom, there are four
fundamentally different types of plants, each of which
has its own unique set of physical features. These are
the non-vascular seedless plants, which include
mosses; the vascular seedless plants, which include
ferns; the gymnosperms, which include coniferous
(cone-bearing) trees; and the angiosperms, a vast
division of flowering plants.
Kingdom Plantae: 1. Seed Plants
2. Seedless plants
1: Seed plants: A. Flowering Seed Plants
Angiosperms (Hide seed), B. Cone-bearing Seed
Plants Gymnosperms
2: Seedless plants: A. Non-Vascular Seedless
Plants B. Vascular Seedless Plants