Plant Phyla and

Classification

Ashley McCord

• Common name: Mosses

• Belong to seedless nonvascular group of plants

• Mosses are small, inconspicuous, have no vascular tissue,or wood to lend structural support.

• Damp environments and surrounding water, and some shade

Bryophyta

Bryophyta (cont'd)• Reproduction occurs with multicellular sex organs such as the

sperm and egg and requires water for the fertilization. Spores are also formed in the reproduction process.

• Ex of plants: sphagnopsida, andreaeopsida, polytrichopsida, and bryopsida 

• Mosses play an important role in reducing erosion along streams, water and nutrient cycling in tropical forests and insulating the arctic permafrost

Hepatophyta• Common Name: Liverworts• Seedless Nonvascular plant• Live in damp environments

and get moisture directly from the surface of the soil.

• Have 2 basic forms: thallose or leafy

• Eggs are formed on the umbrella-like structures of the thallose liverwort

• Relies on free-standing water for reproduction

• Examples: liverworts, hepaticeae, or marchantiophyta

 

Anthocerophyta• Hornworts•Seedless Nonvascular plants•Grow close to the ground to absorb the water and nutrients needed from the soil•Found in tropical forests and along streams•Main body has a flat, lobed appearance •Spores are produced on the little green horns rising above the flat plant body•Examples: Notothyladacae and the larger Anthoceratacae

Lycophyta• Club Mosses• Seedless vascular plants• The vascular system allows

them to grow up off of the ground

• Water needs to be present in order to reproduce

• Found in damp or wet environments with rich soil

Pterophyta• Ferns• Seedless vascular plant

• Examples: Ferns, Whisk ferns, and horsetails

• Whisk ferns are usually found in the tropics and subtropics

• Horsetails are usually found in the wetlands and along rivers and streams

• Ferns can be grown as houseplants or found in the tropics

• Depends on water for reproduction

Cycadophyta• Cyads• Cone-Bearing Seed Plants• Look like palm trees with large

cones• Can be found in the tropical

areas in America, Asia, Africa, and Australia

• Seeds are not enclosed in a fruit

• Pollen is produced in the males and eggs are produced in the females

• Sago palms

Ginkophyta• Ginko• Cone-Bearing Seed Plants• Only one species lives today

the Ginko biloba• Seeds are not enclosed in fruits• Females produce eggs and

males produce the pollen• Found mainly in gardens

around the world and in landscaping

Coniferophyta• Conifers• Cone-Bearing Seed Plants• Most diverse and common

gymnosperms• Needlelike leaves and cones • Most are evergreen • Examples: Cedars, firs,

hemlocks, pines, spruces, and more

• Seeds are not enclosed in fruit and use pollen and eggs for reproduction

Anthophyta• Common Name: Flowering

Plants• Flowering Seed Plants• Also known as angiosperms• Seeds enclosed in fruit • Flower is the reproductive

structure and the fruit is the mature ovary

• Flowers protect the gametes and fertilized eggs

• Examples: Any type of flowers such as dandelions and lilies