Plant Phylum Flashcards

Plant Phyla Overview

• Hepatophyta: Known as liverworts, these are seedless, non-vascular plants exhibiting haploid gametophytes and are homosporous.
• Anthocerophyta: Commonly referred to as hornworts, characterized by non-vascular gametophyte dominance and haploid spores.

Nonflowering Plants

• Bryophyta: Includes mosses; lacks true roots and organized vascular tissue, demonstrating alternation of generations between haploid gametophytes and diploid sporophytes.
• Lycophyta: Represents club mosses; features vascular tissue and roots, and is dominant in the diploid sporophyte stage. Includes spike mosses and quillworts.

Seedless Vascular Plants

• Pterophyta: Comprises ferns, among the first vascular plants on land. They exhibit a life cycle of alternating generations with a dominant sporophyte, which is diploid.

Gymnosperms

• Ginkophyta: Contains a single species known for its vascular structure and seed-bearing capability, with the diploid sporophyte as the dominant life stage, often found in urban environments.
• Cycadophyta: Encompasses cycads, vascular seed-bearing plants with a diploid sporophyte generation.
• Gnetophyta: Features three distinct groups of vascular, seed-bearing plants that produce cones; these are characterized by a dominant diploid sporophyte and flowering structures.
• Coniferophyta: Known as conifers; seeds are borne on stalks or in cones; they demonstrate a life cycle that involves pollination and a dominant sporophyte generation.

Angiosperms

• Anthophyta: Represents flowering plants, characterized by vascular structures and seed-bearing capabilities within fruits; these plants are diploid and constitute the majority of plant species.

Additional Terms

• Diploid: Refers to cells containing two sets of chromosomes, typical of many plant species in the sporophyte stage.
• Homosporous: Describes seedless vascular plants that produce identical spores from sporangi, having no differentiation in spore type.
• Heterosporous: Refers to plant species that generate two types of spores—microspores (male gametophytes) and megaspores (female gametophytes).

Test your knowledge of plant phyla with these flashcards! Each card covers essential definitions and characteristics of major plant groups, including liverworts, hornworts, and mosses. Perfect for botany students and enthusiasts looking to deepen their understanding of non-vascular plants.