Tejinder Kaur, Academic Content Writer at Edumarz
R.H. Whittaker in 1969 gave the five kingdom classification of organisms. The five kingdoms are Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia.
Plantae-
This kingdom consists of living, chlorophyll containing green plants.
Features of Plantae:
Non motile, multicellular eukaryotic organisms.
Autotrophic i.e. make their own food by process of photosynthesis.
Reproduce asexually as well as sexually.
Possess a cell wall made up of cellulose.
Classification of Plantae:
The kingdom plantae is further subdivided into subgroups on the basis of certain characteristics:
Presence/absence of well defined body – whether the plant body consists of root,stem and leaf
Presence/absence of vascular system – whether there is presence of vascular tissues like xylem and phloem
Presence/absence of seeds and flowers- whether the seeds are present or not, and if present are naked or enclosed in a fruit.
The five subgroups are:
Thallophyta
Bryophyta
Pteridophyta
Gymnosperms
Angiosperms
Thallophyta –
The body is thallus like i.e. not differentiated in root, stem and leaf.
The vascular tissue is absent.
They are seedless and non-flowering.
Includes Red algae, Brown algae and green algae.
Example : Volvox , Fucus
Bryophyta-
Plant body has root-like, stem-like and leaf-like structures.
The vascular tissue is absent.
Known as “amphibians of plant kingdom” because they are found in land and for sexual reproduction requires water.
Habitat is moist and shady.
Includes hornworts, liverworts and mosses.
Example : Sphagnum , Funaria
Pteridophyta-
The plant body is well differentiated into root, stem and leaf.
Have a well developed vascular tissue for conduction of water and food.
Example : Pteris , Equisetum
Gymnosperms-
The plant body is well differentiated into root, stem and leaf.
Have a well developed vascular tissue for conduction of water and food.
Seeded plants but the seeds are naked i.e. not enclosed in a fruit.
Example : Cycas, Pinus
Angiosperms-
The plant body is well differentiated into root, stem and leaf.
Have a well developed vascular tissue for conduction of water and food.
Seeded flowering plants.
Seeds are enclosed in a fruit.
Can be varied in sizes from 0.1 cm Wolffia to 100 m tall Eucalyptus.
They can be further divided into two categories:
Monocotyledons – single cotyledon in seed
Dicotyledon- two cotyledon in a seed
Example: Mango, Maize
The kingdom plantae is divided into two categories on the basis of:
Flowering/Non flowering
Seed bearing/ Non Seed bearing
The two categories are:
Cryptograms – Non flowering and Non Seed bearing plants. Includes of Thallophyta, Bryophyta and Pteridophyta
Phanerogams – Flowering and Seed bearing plants. Includes Gymnosperms and Angiosperms.