Types of plants : Seed bearing plants

Seed Bearing Plants

Plants that reproduce by means of seeds belong to this type of plants. Conifers or gymnosperms and flowering plants or gymnosperms reproduce by seeds. Each seed contains an embryo and a food supply. This is enclosed by a seed covering. A germinating seed is nourished by the food treasury until it can start to make its own.

 

Conifers or Gymnosperms

Gymnosperms or conifers are plants that have cones instead of flowers. Their seeds grow within female cones. The seeds develop on scales inside cones. The majority of gymnosperms are trees or shrubs. The cones are not as diverse as flowers but they can be brilliantly coloured and attractive.

 

Flowering plants or Angiosperms

Angiosperms or flowering plants are the most varied set of land vegetation. There are at least 250,000 kinds of flowering plants identified till now. The distinguishing trait of flowering plants or angiosperms is the flower. The chief role of the flower is to make certain that fertilization of the ovule occur and that result in the growth of fruit containing seeds.

 

Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons

Flowering plants or angiosperms have either one or two cotyledons. Monocotyledons (one seed leaf) have floral parts in multiple of three. Dicotyledons( two seed leaves) have floral parts usually in multiple of four or five. In the figure, left side plant is monocotyledon and right is dicotyledon.

Photo credit: Peter Halasz

                                                <<< First | <<Previous