Classification of the Plant Kingdom
3 Minutes
Plant kingdom classification for students: learn the five groups of plants including angiosperms, gymnosperms, and mosses. A science lesson in English.
- The five kingdoms and how plants make up 82% of living things
- Flowering angiosperms and gymnosperms that directly produce seeds
- Spore reproduction in algae, mosses, and the asparagus fern
What this lesson teaches
The plant kingdom, known as Plantae, includes all plants and is divided into five main groups: angiosperms, gymnosperms, thallophytes, bryophytes, and pteridophytes. In the five-kingdom classification system established by Robert H. Whittaker, living organisms are grouped by their characteristics, habitat, size, and shape, with plants making up about 82 percent of all living beings.
The five kingdoms of life
Robert H. Whittaker grouped all living organisms into five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. Plants and vines make up about 82 percent of all living beings, while bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms account for roughly 13 percent. Animals make up the remaining 5 percent of living organisms.
Angiosperms and gymnosperms
- Angiosperms cover most common plants, such as jackfruit trees, banana trees, and coconut trees.
- Angiosperms first produce flowers, which develop into fruits that contain seeds and eventually ripen.
- Gymnosperms do not produce flowers, fruits, or edible fruit, but provide seeds directly.
- Pine trees are an example of gymnosperms because they produce seeds straight away.
Plants that reproduce with spores
Thallophytes, bryophytes, and pteridophytes do not produce flowers, fruits, or seeds. Even though these groups do not look like typical plants, they still make their own food. Instead of using seeds, all three of these plant types reproduce using a powdery substance called spores.
Thallophytes, bryophytes, and pteridophytes
- Thallophytes include algae, the green growth seen along the edges of ponds, lakes, and puddles, and they lack roots, stems, and leaves entirely.
- Bryophytes, such as mosses, are tiny plants with stems and leaves that grow in moderate temperatures on rocks or tree bark in mountain forests.
- Pteridophytes grow well in moist, damp places and are recognized by their sharp, pointed leaves.
- The asparagus fern is a pteridophyte seen in hill stations like Ooty and Kodaikanal, and people often grow it as an ornamental plant.