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Kingdom Plantae is taught in the note for Classification of Living Things. Read it below and look for the section on this topic.

Classification of Living Things

10 min read

Kingdom Plantae

Plants are multicellular organisms with cell walls made of cellulose and chloroplasts that carry out photosynthesis. They make their own food, so they are autotrophs. The plant kingdom is divided into groups, called divisions, by how they reproduce and whether they have vascular tissue (xylem and phloem).

The five kingdomsFive coloured boxes naming the five kingdoms of living things with an example of each: Monera such as bacteria, Protoctista such as amoeba and algae, Fungi such as mushrooms and yeast, Plantae such as maize, and Animalia such as fish, birds and humans.MonerabacteriaProtoctistaamoeba, algaeFungimushroom, yeastPlantaemaize, mango treeAnimaliafish, bird, humanLiving things are sorted into five kingdoms
The five kingdoms. Plants are one of them.
GroupVascular tissueReproduces byExample
BryophytesNoSporesMosses, liverworts
PteridophytesYesSporesFerns, horsetails
GymnospermsYesNaked seeds in conesPine, cypress
AngiospermsYesSeeds inside fruits (flowers)Maize, bean, mango

Monocotyledons and dicotyledons

Angiosperms are split into monocotyledons (one seed leaf) and dicotyledons (two seed leaves). The two can be told apart by their leaves, roots, stems and flowers.

Monocotyledons and dicotyledonsA comparison of a monocotyledon such as maize and a dicotyledon such as a bean. The monocot has leaves with parallel veins, a seed with one seed leaf, and fibrous roots. The dicot has leaves with a network of veins, a seed with two seed leaves and a main tap root with side roots.Leaf veinsSeed leavesRootsMonocotyledon (maize)Dicotyledon (bean)one seed leaftwo seed leavesfibrous rootstap root
FeatureMonocotyledonDicotyledon
Seed leavesOneTwo
Leaf veinsParallelNet-like
Root systemFibrousTap root
Flower partsIn threesIn fours or fives
ExamplesMaize, rice, bananaBean, mango, sunflower

Using a key

A dichotomous key is a set of paired statements. At each step you choose the one that fits the specimen, and it leads you to the next step or to a name. Each choice splits the group in two.

A dichotomous keyA branching key that sorts four animals by yes or no questions: does it have legs, does it have six legs, does it have wings. The answers lead to snake, spider, butterfly or ant.Does it have legs?noyesSnakeDoes it have 6 legs?noyesSpiderDoes it have wings?noyes
Try itCount the petals

Flower parts of monocotyledons come in threes, and of dicotyledons in fours or fives. Choose a petal count.

Check yourself Which feature belongs to a monocotyledon?
Check yourself Which plant group reproduces by spores and has no vascular tissue?
Check yourself Which group has naked seeds in cones?

Key terms

Autotroph
An organism that makes its own food.
Vascular tissue
Xylem and phloem that carry water and food.
Angiosperm
A flowering plant whose seeds develop inside a fruit.
Dichotomous key
A key with paired choices used to identify organisms.

Summary

  • Plants have cellulose cell walls and chloroplasts.
  • The four groups are bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms.
  • Angiosperms are monocotyledons or dicotyledons.
  • A dichotomous key names an organism through paired choices.