Biodiversity of plants

What makes something a plant?

• Multicellular, eukaryotic cells
• Cells have cell walls
• Autotrophic
• Vascular tissue (xylem or phloem)
(TRACHEOPHYTES)
• True leaves and roots
• Seeds or spores and fruit
• Type of habitat
 Cladogram vs
Phylogenetic diagram

All the branches in a cladogram are of equal The branches in a phylogenetic tree usually
length as they do not represent any are of different lengths as they represent the
evolutionary distance between different evolutionary distance between the groups
groups.
Evolutionary development
CLADOGRAM
PLANT DIVERSITY

Plant Kingdom divided into

4 groups
Bryophytes (mosses)
Pteridophytes
(ferns)
Gymnosperms
(Cycads, conifers)
Angiosperms
(flowering plants)
 Alternation of generations
HAPLOID
Sexual
reproduction

Asexual
DIPLOID reproduction
BRYOPHYTES
Characteristics of Bryophytes
• Most primitive terrestrial plant
• Non vascular – absorbs water from soil
or air.
• Water moves from cell to cell – osmosis
• No true leaves, roots or stems – plant
body called a thallus.
• Root like structures, Rhizoids anchor
plant to substrate
Non-vascular plants
• Non-vascular plants do not have true
roots, stems, or leaves and the tissues
present are the least specialized forms of
tissue. Instead of true roots, they have
rhizoids that are hair-like structures that
support the plant firmly to the ground. ...
These plants consist of two major groups
of plants; algae and bryophytes
• Dominant generation - gametophyte
• Because it is larger and lives longer
• Reproductive organs on different
branches of the same plant
• Sperm swim in a film of water to the egg
– depends on water for reproduction
• Asexually - spores are produced
• Dispersed by wind - requires dry weather
BRYOPHYTE STRUCTURE
Pteridophytes
Structure of ferns
Rhizoid: root-like structure of
mosses.
Rhizome: underground stem of a
fern.
A rhizome absorbs water and minerals by
producing rhizoids, which are unicellular
hair-like structures
 What is a sorus?
• Cluster of sporangia in
ferns.
• Occurs in the
sporophyte generation.
• Sporangia within
producing haploid
spores.
• When mature the
sporangia burst and
release spores.
Prothallus
Characteristics of Pteridophytes
• Vascular tissue (XYLEM & PHLOEM) present
• True roots, stems and leaves present
• NO SEEDS OR FRUITS
• Both sexual and asexual reproduction
• Dependent on water for reproduction
• Asexually - spores are produced
• Dispersed by wind - requires dry weather
• The sporophyte generation is dominant.
 SPERMATOPHYTES
• Seed-bearing plants:
Angiosperms:
Seeds produced within fruits
Gymnosperms:
Naked seeds, outside ovary
produced
GYMNOSPERMS
• First plants to develop seeds
• Exposed or naked seeds
• Fertilization not dependant on water at all
• Pollen and seed can withstand periods of
unfavourable conditions.
• Seed protected by TESTA.
• Four divisions
 Welwitschia

Conifers & Pines

Ginkgo trees Cycads

Male cones Female cones
 Female cones

Male cones
 Characteristics of Gymnosperms
• Vascular tissue – water and nutrients
transported
• Supporting tissue – grow to great lengths
• True roots, stems and leaves
• Both sexual and asexual reproduction
Seeds on Spores (pollen)
female cones on male cones
• NO fruit
 Structure
• Vegetative plant –
sporophyte
generation
• Differentiated into
true roots, stem and
leaves
• Roots
– Taproot system with lateral roots
• Stem
– Woody with protective bark
– Unlimited growth branches and dwarf
shoots
• Leaves
– Needle shaped to reduce surface area
– Thick cuticle
– Sunken stomata
Reproduction – life cycle
• Takes up to two years to complete.
• Male and female cones produced
• Differ in appearance and structure
• Male spores – microspore (pollen)
• Female spores - macrospore
Male cone
• Small and in clusters
• Male cones bear
pollen sacs.
• Pollen grains (male
spore) inside pollen
sac
• Male gamete inside
pollen grain
Male spores – pollen
grains
wing

nucleus
Female cone
• Larger and single
• Female cones bear
ovules containing
female spore on
upper surface of each
seed scale
• Female spores found
inside ovules
• Site of fertilization
 Fertilization
• Pollen grain lands on female cone
• pollen tube forms
• generative cell travels to meet the
female gamete in ovule.
• one sperm cells released by the
generative cell fuses with the egg,
• forms diploid zygote, divides to form
the embryo seed new tree
 Biological importance
• Furniture production.
• Pine also used for making paper, turpentine and as
Christmas trees.
• Disadvantage – pine needles make soil acidic, thus
difficult for other plants to grow.
• Dense pine plantations – prevents erosion on
mountain slopes.
• Symbiotic relationship between fungi and roots of
plants (Mycorrhiza) occurs in pines.
Angiosperms
 ANGIOSPERMS
• Flowering plants that have seeds
enclosed in an ovary (FRUIT).
• Most advanced group of plants.
• Flowers reproductive organs
• True roots, stems and leaves
• No water required for fertilization.
• Two classes – dicotyledons and
monocotyledons
Plant
structure
Shoot system
– above
ground

Root system
– below
ground
Dicot or Monocot?
Characteristics of Angiosperms
• Widely spread, terrestrial plants
• very dry areas - xerophytes.
• abundant water supply - hydrophytes.
• moderate water supply - mesophytes.
• sporophyte is the dominant generation.
• Two separate gametophyte generations
occur within the same sporophyte
generation
 FLOWERS
4 parts (whorls or circular patterns):
1. Calyx – of green sepals
2. Corolla – coloured petals
3. Androecium – male parts
(stamens)
4. Gynoecium – female parts
(stigma, style and ovary)
3. Androecium 4. Gynoecium

2. Corolla
1. Calyx
Pollination – transfer of ripe
pollen from anther to stigma
POLLINATING AGENTS
Adaptation for wind-pollination
 Colour?
Scent?
Pollen size?
 Adaptation for insect-
pollination
• Large, brightly coloured petals
• Strong scent
• Petals arranged as platform for insects
Adaptation for bird-pollination
• Brightly coloured
flowers
• Flowers must be strong -
weight of the birds
• Trumpet shaped flowers
• Little or no scent
 Decreasing dependence on water for
reproduction
• Bryophytes least adapted – requires
water for fertilisation
• Pteridophytes more evolved – requires
water for fertilisation
• Gymnosperms and Angiosperms well
adapted to life on land – no water
required for fertilisation
 Asexual reproduction in
plants
• Plants reproduce asexually through
vegetative propagation.
• This process can be natural or
artificial
Natural Propagation Runners
Bulbs

Rhizome Tubers
Artificial Propagation Cutting

Tissue culture

Grafting
SIGNIFICANCE OF SEEDS
 SEED BANKS
A government facility that store
seeds of different crop plants and
wild plants so that BIODIVERSITY is
maintained.