Gymnosperms and Angiosperms Monocotyledons and Dicotyledon

In order to be able to identify a plant and put it in the right family, you need to know the terminology to use

• gymnosperm – “naked seed” • no true fruits

• no flowers

Angiosperm means “covered seed”

Have flowers Have fruits with seeds Live everywhere – dominant

plants in the world 260,000 species (88% of Plant

Kingdom) Angiosperms are the most

successful and advanced plants on earth

Angiosperms are divided into monocots and dicots

The first leaves first of a young plant develop and are called as cotyledons (seed leaves)

Monocots have one cotyledon (corn, lily, etc).

Dicots have two cotyledons (bean, oak, etc).

FEATURE MONOCOTS DICOTS

Cotyledons 1 2

Leaf venation parallel broad

Root system Fibrous Tap

Number of floral parts

In 3’s In 4’s or 5’s

Vascular bundle position

Scattered Arranged in a circle

Woody or herbaceous

Herbaceous Either

Monocots – blade like leaf blade – wrap around the stem – no petiole – have main vascular bundles running parallel along length of leaf

Dicots – Have both a leaf blade and a petiole – single midrib (Vascular bundles) with branches

◦ Dicots form one primary root◦ Monocots branch to form the fibrous root

Tap Root◦ Have a main central root and may have some

lateral branching

Fibrous◦ Have many roots of equal size and a lot of lateral

branching◦ Fibrous roots are generally much more diffuse

and closer to the surface

◦ Dicots –have sepals and/or petals in multiples of four or five

◦ Monocots – have sepals in multiples of threes

Monocot stem

Dicot stem

Monocot stem

Dicot stem

Herbaceous stems◦ Lack secondary growth - because plants only live

one year/growing season (annuals)

◦ Stems remain soft and flexible◦ Buds lack protective scales (don’t need to survive

harsh conditions)

Woody stems◦ Plants living and growing over multiple seasons

have secondary growth (xylem, phloem) increasing diameter of the stems

These are a type of plant that reproduce by seeds not contained in a flower

angiosperms gymnosperms ferns

These are a type of plant that reproduce by seeds not contained in a flower

angiosperms gymnosperms ferns

The flowering plant group which is the biggest in the plant kingdom is

A. ferns B. angiosperms C. gymnosperms

The flowering plant group which is the biggest in the plant kingdom is

A. ferns B. angiosperms C. gymnosperms

Angiosperms differ from mosses, ferns and fungi in that they have

A. True leaves, stems and roots B. Mycelium C. Fronds

Angiosperms differ from mosses, ferns and fungi in that they have

A. True leaves, stems and roots B. Mycelium C. Fronds

Angiosperms are the most advanced plant group.

True False

Angiosperms are the most advanced plant group.

True False

Dicot

Moncot

Moncot

Dicot

Moncot