Question

What are the major divisions in the Plantae? What is the basis for these divisions?

Answer 1

The kingdom Plantae is divided into five main divisions: Thallophyta, Bryophyta, Pteridophyta, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms.

The classification depends on the following criteria:

• Differentiated/ Undifferentiated plant body

• Presence /absence of vascular tissues

• With/without seeds

• Naked seeds/ seeds inside fruits

(i) The first level of classification depends on whether a plant body is well differentiated or not. A group of plants that do not have a well differentiated plant body are known as Thallophyta.

(ii) Plants that have well differentiated body parts are further divided on the basis of the presence or absence of vascular tissues. Plants without specialised vascular tissues are included in division Bryophyta, whereas plants with vascular tissues are known as Tracheophyta.

(iii) Tracheophyta is again sub-divided into division Pteridophyta, on the basis of the absence of seed formation.

(iv) The other group of plants having well developed reproductive organs that finally develop seeds are called Phanerogams. This group is further sub- divided on the basis of whether the seeds are naked or enclosed in fruits. This classifies them into gymnosperms and angiosperms. Gymnosperms are seed bearing, non-flowering plants, whereas angiosperms are flowering plants in which the seeds are enclosed inside the fruit.