Kingdom Plantae Definition

The Kingdom plantae can be defined as multicellular, autotrophic eukaryotes, which conduct
photosynthesis. All member of this family comprises of true nucleus and advanced
membrane bound organelles. They are quite different from animals. The Kingdom Plantae
contains about 300,000 different species of plants. Among the five kingdoms, Kingdom
plantae is a very important, as they are the source of food for all other living creatures
present on planet earth, which depends on plants to survive.

Kingdom Plantae Characteristics

 Most of the plants are eukaryotic and chlorophyll containing organisms.

 Cell walls of plant cells are comprised of cellulose.
 They have an ability to grow by cell division.
 In life cycle of plant cells, the interchanges occur from the embryos and are
supported by other tissues and self-produce.
 Plants have both organs and organ systems.
 They obtain their energy from sun through photosynthesis.
 Plants reproduce both by sexual and asexual.
 Plants develop a self-defense mechanism to protect them from being destroyed by
animals, fungi and other plants.
 Organisms within Kingdom Plantae are multicellular, eukaryotic and autotrophic.
 They lack motility.

1. CRYPTOGAMAE (cryptogams) - A cryptogam is a plant that reproduces by spores,

without flowers or seeds. "Cryptogamae" means hidden reproduction, referring to the fact
that no seed is produced, thus cryptogams represent the non-seed bearing plants.

Fern- A fern is a member of a group of approximately 12,000 species of vascular plants that
reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being
vascular. They have stems and leaves, like other vascular plants.
 Fern
Lingzhi Mushroom
Spirogyra

Lingzhi Mushroom- The

lingzhi mushroom or reishi
mushroom is a species
complex that encompasses
several fungal species of the
genus Ganoderma, most
commonly the closely related
species Ganoderma lucidum,
Ganoderma tsugae, and Ganoderma sichuanense.

A. THALLOPHYTA (thallophytes): Thallophyta is the most primitive and the largest

division of Cryptogams. The plant body is not differentiated into root, stem and leaves and
such a plant body is termed as thallus . The thalloid plant body is either unicellular or
multicellular.

1. ALGAE- Algae are chlorophyll bearing thalloid , autotrophic and largely aqutotrophic and
largely aquatic (fresh water and marine water) plants . They also occur in a variety of other
habitats:moist stones ,soils wood .they are unicellular also occur in association with fungi to
form Lichens.

Spirogyra- Spirogyra is a genus of filamentous charophyte green algae of the order

Zygnematales, named for the helical or spiral arrangement of the chloroplasts that is
diagnostic of the genus.

Chara- Chara is often called muskgrass or skunkweed because of its foul, musty almost
garlic-like odor. Chara is a gray-green branched multicellular algae that is often confused
with submerged flowering plants.

2. FUNGI- Fungi are achlorophyllous (non-green) heterotrophic thallophytes. They live as

saprophytes with algae to form lichens. Some fungi grown in close association with roots of
vascular plants forming mycorrhizae.

Rhizopus- Rhizopus is a genus of common saprophytic fungi on plants and specialized

parasites on animals. They are found on a wide variety of organic substrates, including
"mature fruits and vegetables", jellies, syrups, leather, bread, peanuts, and tobacco.
 Chara Rhizopus Funaria

B. BRYOPHTA (Bryophytes): Bryophytes are chlophytes are are chlorophyllous ,

autotrophic, embryophic and atracheophytic cryptogams.They are mostly found on damp
and shady places. They are called amphibians of plant kingdom.

Funaria- Funaria is a genus of approximately 210 species of moss. Funaria hygrometrica is

the most common species. Funaria hygrometrica is called “cord moss” because of the
twisted seta which is very hygroscopic and untwists when moist.

C.PTERIDOPHYTA (pteridophytes): Pteridophytes are chlorophyllous, autotrophic

embryophytic and tracheophytic cryptogams. They are the non-flowering plants possessing
vascular tissues . Hence they are called VASCULAR CRYPTOGAMS.

Pteris - Pteris is a genus of about 280 species of ferns in the Pteridoideae subfamily of the
Pteridaceae. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Many of them
have linear frond segments, and some have sub-palmate division.

2. PHANEROGAMAE (phanerogams)- Phanerogams are flower bearing ,seed producing

tracheoptytes . This sub kingdom has only one division SPERMATOPHYTA.
A) Gymnospermae and B) Angiospermae

A) GYMNOSPERMAE (gymnosperms): Gymnosperms are phanerogams or

spermatophytes without ovary and fruit. The seeds are naked without a fruit wall.
EXAMPEL:cycas , pinus , Gnetum.

Cycas - Cycas is the type genus and the only genus recognised in the family Cycadaceae.
About 113 species are accepted. Cycas circinalis, a species endemic to India was the first
cycad species to be described and was the type of the generic name, Cycas.

Pines- Pines are conifer trees in the genus Pinus /ˈpiːnuːs/, in the family Pinaceae. They are
the only genus in the subfamily Pinoideae.

Gnetum - Gnetum is a genus of gymnosperms, the sole genus in the family Gnetaceae and
order Gnetales. They are tropical evergreen trees, shrubs and lianas. Unlike other
gymnosperms they possess vessel elements in the xylem.
 Pteris Cycas
Pines

Gnetum Maize Sorghum

B)ANGIOSPERMAE(angiosperms):Angiosperms are the flowering plants in which the

seeds are enclosed by fruits. The angiosperms are divided into two classes: the dicotyledons
and the monocotyledons.

DICOTYLEDONS : They have two cotyledon in their seeds .

exampel: Maize , sorghum ,etc .

Maize- Maize, commonly known as corn, is a large grain plant domesticated by indigenous
peoples in Mexico in prehistoric times about 10,000 years ago. The six major types of corn
are dent corn, flint corn, pod corn, popcorn, flour corn, and sweet corn.

Sorghum - Sorghum is a genus of plants in the grass family. Seventeen of the twenty-five
species are native to Australia, with some extending to Africa, Asia, Mesoamerica, and
certain islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Java moss - Java moss is a moss belonging to the Hypnaceae family. Native to Southeast
Asia, it is commonly used in freshwater aquariums. It attaches to rocks, roots, and driftwood.
Java moss (T) Matoniaceae (B) Polytrichum (B)

Matoniaceae- Matoniaceae is one of the three families of ferns in the Gleicheniales order of
the Polypodiopsida class.

Polytrichum commune- Polytrichum commune is a species of moss found in many

regions with high humidity and rainfall. The species can be exceptionally tall for a moss with
stems often exceeding 30 cm though rarely reaching

Dicksonia sellowiana- Dicksonia sellowiana, the xaxim, or samambaiaçu or imperial

samambaiaçu, is an arborescent fern. Belongs to the family Dicksoniaceae, native to the
Atlantic Forest and Central America.

Marsilea crenata- Marsilea crenata is a species of fern found in Southeast Asia. It is an

aquatic plant looking like a four leaf clover. Leaves floating in deep water or erect in shallow
water or on land.

Lichen- A lichen is not a single organism. Rather, it is a symbiosis between different

organisms - a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium. Cyanobacteria are sometimes still
referred to as 'blue-green algae', though they are quite distinct from the algae. The non-
fungal partner contains chlorophyll and is called the photobiont.

Dicksonia sellowiana (P) Marsilea crenata (P) Lichens

Monocotyledon- Monocotyledons, more properly referred to as monocots, are flowering

plants whose seeds typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon.
Arum- the Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are
borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and
sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe or leaf-like bract.

Cyperales- Cyperales is a name for an order of flowering plants. As used in the Engler
system and in the Wettstein system it consisted of only the single family.

Dicotyledon- the dicotyledons, also known as dicots (or more rarely dicotyls), were one of
the two groups into which all the flowering plants or angiosperms were formerly divided. The
name refers to one of the typical characteristics of the group, namely that the seed has two
embryonic leaves or cotyledons.

Arum Cyperales Campanulales

Campanulales- Campanulales is a valid botanic name for a plant order. It was used in the
Cronquist system as an order within the subclass Asteridae in the class Magnoliopsida
flowering plants.

Santalales- the Santalales are an order of flowering plants with a cosmopolitan distribution,
but heavily concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions. It derives its name from its type
genus Santalum.

Santalales Difference between Monocot and Dicot

MONOCOTS DICOTS
Embryo with single cotyledon Embryo with two cotyledons
Pollen with single furrow or Pollen with three furrows or
pore pores
Flower parts in multiples of Flower parts in multiples of four
three or five
Major leaf veins parallel Major leaf veins reticulated
Stem vacular bundles
Stem vascular bundles in a ring
scattered
Roots are adventitious Roots develop from radicle
Secondary growth absent Secondary growth often present