Plant Kingdom

• Plants are multicellular eukaryotic organisms.
• They have chloroplast organelles and contain chlorophyll so they can perform photosynthesis. Complete parasitic plants do not contain chlorophyll so they cannot perform photosynthesis.
• They are the oxygen and nutrient channels of terrestrial life.
• There is a cell wall made of cellulose around the cell membrane.
• The storage polysaccharide of plants is starch. They store starch in root, stem, fruit and seed parts.
• They cannot actively move because they are attached to the soil.
• In simple plants, reproduction occurs through metagenesis by producing spores, whereas in developed plants, they are sexual with seeds and asexual with vegetative reproduction varieties.

We can divide the plant kingdom into two main groups: vascular plants and non-vascular plants.

Now, let's examine these groups one by one.

1. Non-Vascular Plants:

• Plants in this group live in moist environments because they cannot adapt to land environment.
• There are no real roots, stems, leaves and transmission bundles.
• They get the water they need directly from the environment by diffusion.
• They can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
• They cannot form flowers and seeds in their reproduction and development.
• Liver warts, Horn warts, and Moss are examples.

Liver warts

Horn warts

Moss

2. Vascular Plants:

• Plants in this group have transmission bundles. The vast majority live on land.
• Transmission bundles consist of xylem and phloem. Water and water-soluble inorganic materials are carried from xylem. Organic materials formed as a result of photosynthesis are transported from phloem.
• We can examine this group in two sub-categories: vascular seed plants and vascular seedless plants.

Vascular Seedless Plants:

• Since the plants in this group do not have seed forming properties, they reproduce by metagenesis.
• They live in warm and humid areas.
• It has simple root, stem and leaves.
• They have underground bodies called rhizomes.
• Ferns, matches and horsetails are the most prominent examples.

Ferns

Horsetails

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Vascular Seed Plants

• Such plants can form seeds and flowers. There are transmission bundles.
• They have real roots, stems and leaves.
• They can reproduce sexually and asexually. After fertilization takes place, they form a structure with the embryo and food storage. This structure is a seed draft and ripens with fruit.
• The structure of the seeds includes the seed coat (testa), embryo and food storage. The food store contains especially carbohydrates, protein and fat. The amounts of these substances differ according to the type of plant.
• Vascular seed plants are divided into two groups according to the structure of the seeds; Gymnosperm (seeds are completely uncoated), Angiosperm (seeds are coated and developed in an ovary).

a) Gymnosperm:

• Such plants are mostly in the form of trees, shrubs or bushes. They are mostly coniferous perennial plants.
• Its flowers are in conifers and have no fruits. The flowers are monogamous, they are divided into male and female flowers.
• The seed that develops after pollination and fertilization develops adherently on the female cones scales.
• The seed is exposed not in the fruit but under the conifers.
• The narrow surface of the leaves, the deep pores and the thick layer of cuticle allow these creatures to live even in arid environments. Pines, deodar are some examples of this group.

Pines

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b) Angiosperm:

• The largest group of the plant kingdom is angiosperm.
• It has real flowers, fruits and seeds, and the seeds are enclosed.
• The seeds are hidden in a fruit. There are one-year or multi-year types.
• It has real roots, stems and leaves. Leaf surfaces are enlarged.
• There are woody and herbaceous varieties.
• Transmission bundles have improved.
• Flowers are organs that enable the sexual reproduction of plants in this group.
• The colors, fragrances and shapes of the flowers are related to reproduction, these formations attract the attention of insects and some other animals like bees. Thus, pollen adheres to the body of insects or other animals placed in the flower, and the pollen is carried by these animals to the other flower. In some plants, the transport of pollen occurs by wind.
• Pollination occurs when a plant pollen reaches the female organ in the flower. Then fertilization occurs and seeds are formed. The ovary of the female organ in the flower also turns into a fruit surrounding the seed. The task of the fruit is to protect the seeds and help them propagate.

Apple

We can examine this group in two separate subgroups; Dicotyledons and Monocotyledons.

Dicotyledons: 

• There are two cotyledons in the embryos of this group of plants.
• Some are annual herbaceous plants, while others are perennial woody plants.
• Contains cambium, which counts transverse thickening.
• The transmission bundles are arranged in a ring on the body.
• Its roots are tap roots.
• Plant leaves are large, have petioles and show reticulate venation.
• Oak, hornbeam, chestnut, walnut, bean, rose, pumpkin and tomato are some examples.

Walnut

Tomatoes

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Monocotyledons: 

• Its embryos have one cotyledon.
• These plants do not have real tap roots, the roots are adventitious roots.
• Transmission bundles are scattered throughout the body and there is no cambium layer.
• Its leaves are generally thin, long and parallel veined.
• Corn, wheat, barley, rice are examples.

Rice

The Original Author: Mrs. Şerife (Erden) SARICA