Table of Contents

Title.............................................................................Pg(s)#

Introduction and 

Advantage/ Disadvantage of Life on Land.....................4

Plant Adaptions..............................................................5-6

History................................................................................7

Plant Evolution..................................................................8

                           Charophytes............................................9

Plant Classification...........................................10-11

Mosses and Life Cycle......................................12-13

Fern and Life Cycle...........................................14-15

Conifers pt. 1and 2...........................................16-17

Scientific Names and Classification..............................18

Table of Contents (continued pt. 2)

Title.................................................................................Pg(s)#

Families: Angiosperms, Cruciferae,

 Rosace, Leguminosae, Liliaceae, Gramineae, 

Compositae, Umbelliferae...................................................................19-26

Other Families: Ranunculaceae, Solanaceae, Polygonaceae......................................................................27

Taxonomic Tree of Plants...................................................28

Ecosystem Activity...............................................................29

Concluding Page..................................................................30

What are plants?

* Multicellular

* Eukaryotes

* Autotrophs

*Oxygenic Photosynthesis

* Adapted to Life on Land

Life on Land: Advantages

* Plenty of Light

* Plenty of C02

* Space (in the beginning)

* No Predators (at 1st)

Life on Land: Disadvantages

* Water availability-- dehydration

* Support-- location of nutrients-- soil, atmosphere

* Light-- High UV Levels

Plant Adaptions

* Embryophytes

- they protect embryos on the parent body

- surrounded by protective tissue

- nourish (take care) of embryos 

* Gametangia

- multicellular organs

- produce gametes

1) Archegonia -- eggs

2) Antheridia -- sperms

* Sporangia 

- multicellular organs

- produce spores

* Apical Meristems

- Growing Points; located at tips of plant structures 

* Cuticles

- waxy coat

- plant surfaces above ground

* Stomata 

- pores in leaves and other photosynthetic organs

- gas exchange

* Vascular Tissue

- support and transport

1) xylem

2) phloem

* Secondary Compounds

- defense-- toxins: digitalis; antifeedants: tannins

- support-- lignin

- UV Protection-- Flavonoids

* Secondary Compounds (2)

- Sporopollenin 

1) Spore Coat

2) Pollen Coat

~ 3.5 billion years ago (bya): 1st prokaryotes (single-celled) 

~ 2.1 bya: 1st eukaryotes (single-celled)

~ 1.2 bya: 1st multicellular eukaryotes

~ 535-525 million years ago (mya): The Cambrian Explosion which caused great increase in diversity of animal forms

~ 500 mya: colonization of land by fungi, plants, and animals 

Plant Evolution

* Earliest body fossils of plants 

   - 475 mya

   - plant spores in plant sporophyte tissues

Charophytes

* sister taxon

* molecular evidence

    1) nuclear DNA

    2) chloroplast DNA 

* shared traits

    1) peroxisome (a small organelle present in the cytoplasm of many cells)

    2) flagellated sperm

    3) phragmoplasts (it serves as a holding structure for cell plate assembly and subsequent formation of a new cell wall separating the two daughter cells)

   4) Rosette- shaped cellulose synthesizing complexes

Plant Classification

Introduction to Plants

- Plants are classified into four main groups: 1] mosses & liverwort (bryophyte), 2] ferns (pteridophyte), 3] conifers (gymnosperms), 4] flowering plants (angiosperms) 

- All are distinctly different in appearance, structure and behavior

* Mosses & Liverworts: No proper roots or stems, thin leaves that lose water, and reproduce by spore

* Ferns: Strong stem, roots and leaves. Reproduce by spores

* Gymnosperms: Strong stem and roots, needle-like leaves, seeds made inside cones

* Angiosperms: Strong stem, roots and leaves. Flowers that make seeds

Mosses- Bryophyta

* Mosses are non-vascular plants-- they cannot trans port fluids through their bodies.

* Instead they must rely on surrounding moisture to do this job for them.

* Through small in stature, mosses are very important members of our ecosystem. 

*They lay the foundations for other plant growth, prevent erosion, and contribute to the lush green appearance of many forested areas. 

~ 

*The 24,000 bryophyte species sometimes grouped into a single phylum (category) are now grouped in three phyla: 1) mosses [bryophyta] 2) liverworts [hepatophyta] 3) hornworts [anthoceraphyta]

* They produce by spores, never have flowers, and can be found growing on the ground, on rocks, and other plants

Life Cycle of Moss

* Moss planta have 2 generations, the gametophyte and the sporophyte.

* The 1st Gen, the gametophyte, forms the green leafy structure we ordinarily associate with moss.

* It produces a sperm and  a egg (the gametes) which unite, when conditions are right.

* The moss sporophyte is typically a capsule growing on the end of a stalk called the seta.

* The sporophyte contains no chlorophyll of its own; it grows parasitically on its gametophyte mother.

* As the sporophyte dries out, the capsule release spores which will grow into a new generation of gametophytes if they germinate.

The Fern- Pteridophyta 

* Ferns have a vascular system to transport fluids through their bodies but like the mosses, they reproduce from spores rather than seeds.

* The main phylum, the ferns includes are around 12,000 species. 3 other phyla are included as fern allies:  the Horsetails, Club Mosses and Whisk Ferns

* Ferns also have a gametophyte and sporophyte stage, but the gametophyte stage is much reduced.

Life Cycle of Fern

* The gametophyte gen. of ferns are small, heart-shaped, plants called prothallia (Singular: prothallium). They are less than an inch ( 1-2 cm) in diameter and look very much like thalloid liverworts or hornworts

* Male and female sex organs are located on the underside of the prothallium and when the conditions are right, the sperm swims from the male antheridium to fertilize the egg in the archegonium. 

* A new adult (sporophyte) fern plant will grow from the prothallium

Conifers- Gymnosperms

* The gymnosperms add the next level of  complexity to plant evolution: they produce from seeds instead of pores.

* The seeds, however, are "naked"-- not covered by an ovary

* Usually, the seed is produced inside a cone-like structure such as a pine cone hence the name "conifer". Some conifers, such as the Yew and Gingko, produce their seeds inside a berry-like structure.

* Conifers are fairly easy to identify: in addition to the aforenoted cones, these trees and shrubs typically have needle-like, scale-like, or awl-like leaves.

* They never have flowers

Conifers- 2

* Approximately 600 species are counted as conifers including the pines, firs, spruces, cedars, Junipers and Yew

* Species within the conifer ranks give us pine nuts-- pesto's magic ingredient-- as well as Juniper berries for gin

*Conifer allies include three small phyla containing fewer than 200 species all together:

- Gingko (Gingkophyta)

- Cycads (Cycadophyta)

- Herb-like cone-bearing plants (Gnetophyta)

Scientific Names and Classification

* Species are named using a system developed in 1750 in Sweden by Linnaeus.

* Each species is given two names         1st is genus name. Each genus contains a number of related species. For example, Buttercups belong to the genus Ranunculus.

* Different types of buttercup then have a different species name, e.g. Creeping Buttercup is Ranunculus repens while the common buttercup is called Ranunculus flutans.

* The genus and species are always written in Italics but when hand-written, they should be underlined. Also, the genus should have a CAPITAL letter and the species should have a small letter.

Angiosperms: Families

* Seed bearing plants of the Order Angiosperm

are further classified into plant families. 

* Plants belonging to the same family share a common trait, usually based on flower structure. 

The most important and common families are: Cruciferae, Rosace, Leguminosae, Liliaceae, Gramineae, Compositae, and Umbelliferae.