Classifying Plants

Classifying Plants

by Mat Toktosun

​Classifying Plants

​Living organisms are classified into groups. Carl Linnaeus was one of the

first people to classify living organisms. We have seen that he grouped them into species.

We can also classify organisms into much larger groups. For example, we classify all the organisms that have green leaves and can photosynthesize are plants.

Organisms that can move around and eat other organisms as food are animals.

The plant group and the animal group are called kingdoms.

Multiple Choice

All the organisms that have green leaves and can photosynthesize are ______.

• animals

• plants

• bacteria

• virus

Multiple Choice

Organisms that can move around and eat other organisms as food are -----------.

• animals

• plants

• bacteria

• virus

​The plant kingdom contains several million different species of plants. These are classified into four major groups.

Multiple Choice

For how many major groups we can divide the plant kingdom?

• 5

• 4

• 3

• 2

​Mosses

​Mosses are very small plants. Most of them live in damp, shady places. They do not produce flowers. They produce spores for reproduction. They have thin leaves that dry out easily.

Multiple Choice

Mosses produce ______ for reproduction.

• spores

• seeds

• flowers

• fruits

​Ferns

​Ferns also like to grow in shady places, but they are much bigger than mosses. Some of them grow so big that they are called tree ferns.

Ferns have leaves called fronds.

Like mosses, they don't produce

flowers. They reproduce using spores.

The spores grow on the backs of

their fronds.

Multiple Choice

Ferns produce flowers to reproduce.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Ferns reproduce using spores.

• True

• False

​Conifers

​Most conifers grow into large

trees. They often have tough,

narrow leaves called needles.

They don’t have proper flowers.

They reproduce using seeds. The

seeds are produced inside cones.

Multiple Choice

Conifers have proper flowers.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Conifers reproduce using ______

• seeds

• spores

​Flowering plants

​These plants reproduce using

seeds that are produced inside

flowers.

Multiple Choice

Flowering plants reproduce using _____ that are produced inside

flowers.

• seeds

• spores

• stones

​Summary

Plants are divided into four major groups - mosses, ferns,

conifers and flowering plants.