Kingdom of PlantsBy Christine and Hazel

PlantsPlants provide nourishment for our bodies. With the help of protists and fungi, plants provide the oxygen we breathe and the food that sustains us, by feeding other animals. Plants provide shade over our heads and cool carpets under our feet while surrounding us with beautiful colors of flowers and plants and marking the change of seasons. Descriptions such as "Redwood-Tanoak Forest" or "Oak Grassland" indicate not only the plants we may find there but the animals, fungi, and climate as well. Classification of the plant kingdom can be especially confusing to the amateur naturalist.

Comparing

A palm tree has more in common with a blade of grass than with other trees. A strawberry plant is more closely related to an apple or apricot tree than to a clover or geranium. A Ginko (Maidenhair) tree is so different from other plants that it is in a phylum by itself. But if you have to group it with other plants, it belongs with conifers such as Pine trees.

SortedAt least four classification systems are in common use Plants are classified into 12 divisions based largely on reproductive characteristics. they are classified by tissue structure into non-vascular and vascular plants by "seed" structure into those that reproduce through naked seeds, covered seeds, or spores or by stature divided into mosses, ferns, shrubs and vines, trees, and herbs. All of these higher-level groupings are decidedly lopsided: the vast majority of the 270,000 plant species are flowering herbs. the largest phylum has been split while the other phyla are grouped according to one or more of the methods described above.

History

• Virtually all other living creatures depend on plants to survive. Through photosynthesis, plants convert energy from sunlight into food stored as carbohydrates. Because animals cannot get energy directly from the sun, they must eat plants to survive. Plants also provide the oxygen humans and animals breathe, because plants use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and release oxygen into the atmosphere. Plants are found on land, in oceans, and in fresh water. They have been on Earth for millions of years. Plants were on Earth before animals. Three features distinguish plants from animals: Plants have chlorophyll, a green pigment necessary for photosynthesis. Their cell walls are made sturdy by a material called cellulose. They are fixed in one place (they don’t move).

Non - Vascular

• Mosses are non-vascular. They are an important foundation plant for the forest ecosystem and they help prevent erosion by carpeting the forest floor. All species reproduce by spores not seeds, never have flowers, and are found growing on the ground, on rocks, and on other plants. Originally grouped as a single division or phylum, Included among the non-vascular plants is Chlorophyta , a kind of fresh-water algae.

Vascular plants with spores

• Unlike mosses, ferns and related species have a vascular system, but like mosses, they reproduce from spores rather than seeds. The ferns are the most plentiful plant division in this group, with 12,000 species. Other divisions include Club mosses or Lycopods with 1,000 species, Horsetails with 40 species, and Whisk ferns with 3 species.

Vascular Plants with Seeds• Conifers reproduce from seeds, but unlike plants like

blueberry bushes or flowers where the fruit or flower surrounds the seed, conifer seeds are naked. In addition to having cones, conifers are trees or shrubs that never have flowers and that have needle-like leaves. Included among conifers are about 600 species including pines, firs, spruces, cedars, junipers, and yew. The conifer allies include three small divisions with fewer than 200 species all together: Ginko made up of a single species, the maidenhair tree; the palm-like Cycads , and herb-like plants that bear cones such as Mormon tea.

Planting• Plants are reproduced by people

planting seeds. When you plant seeds you have to care for it until picked. Flowers need water, sunshine, and love. When you plant a seed you need to constantly watch over your plant or seed. You have to water it daily and keep it somewhere sunny.

Here are some types of flowers.

Hibiscus Tiger Lily Moonlight Flower

Lily Carnation Forget-me-not poppy

Lotus

Dahlia Petunia Water lily Hollyhocks

Here is a short video of how a flower grows.

Bibliography• Kingdom Plants .com•Naturalist.com• Perspective.com

EEEEENNNNNDDDDD

• This is the end of our speech. • But before that we will pass around a flower.• We will also give out strawberries.• And read then pass around our sign.• If you want to see and read more about

flowers and plant go to www.flowers-cs.com• But wait hold your applause.