Groups of plants

What is a plant?

A plant is a living thing that:

1. Grows in the soil or water.
2. Has roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits.
3. Can make its own food using sunlight, water, air (carbon dioxide) through a process called photosynthesis.

Examples of plants

1. Trees: Mango tree, neem tree
2. Crops: Maize, rice, wheat
3. Flowers: Rose, sunflower
4. Grass, ferns, and mosses

Plants are further classified into two sub-groups, namely Flowering and Non-flowering

Flowering plants are plants that produce flowers as their reproductive structures.

1. Flowers develop into fruits, and fruits contain seeds for reproduction.
2. These plants include trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses.

Examples

• Mango trees, roses, beans, maize, and wheat.

Uses of flowering plants

1. Provide food like fruits, grains, and vegetables.
2. Source of medicine, firewood, and materials for clothing.
3. Serve as homes for animals like birds and insects.

Classification of flowering plants

Flowering plants are divided into two main groups based on the number of cotyledons (seed leaves) in their seeds:

1. Monocotyledonous Plants (Monocots)
2. Dicotyledonous Plants (Dicots)

Monocotyledonous Plants (Monocots)

1. Monocots have one cotyledon (one seed leaf).
2. Their leaves usually have parallel veins.
3. The flowers of monocots usually have petals in multiples of three.
4. Their roots are fibrous roots.

Maize in farm

Examples: Maize, rice, wheat, grass, and sugarcane.

Dicotyledonous Plants (Dicots)

1. Dicots have two cotyledons (two seed leaves).
2. Their leaves usually have branched or net-like veins.
3. The flowers of dicots usually have petals in multiples of four or five.
4. They usually have a taproot system.

Beans in farm

Examples: Beans, mangoes, sunflower, and peas.

Difference between monocotyledonous plants (monocots) and dicotyledonous plants (dicots)

Character	Monocotyledonous Plant	Dicotyledonous Plant
Cotyledons	Seeds have one cotyledon	Seeds have two cotyledons
Leaves	Long, narrow leaves	Broad leaves
Leaf Veins	Leaves have parallel veins	Leaves have net-like veins
Roots	Have fibrous roots	Have tap roots
Flowers	Floral parts in multiples of three	Floral parts in multiples of four or five

Classification of flowering plants

Flowering plants are classified into two main groups which are monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. The terms monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous come from the number of cotyledons in the seed of a plant. Monocotyledonous plants have one cotyledon or seed leaf, while dicotyledonous plants have two cotyledons or seed leaves.

The difference between monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants

Feature	Monocotyledon Plants	Dicotyledon Plants
Number of seed leaves (Cotyledons)	Has one seed leaf when it starts growing.	Has two seed leaves when it starts growing.
Leaf shape and veins	Leaves are long and thin with parallel veins.	Leaves are broad with branching (net-like) veins.
Root type	Has fibrous roots (many thin roots spreading out).	Has a taproot (one big main root with small roots growing from it).
Flower parts	Flower parts come in groups of 3 (Example, 3 or 6 petals).	Flower parts come in groups of 4 or 5 (Example, 4, 5, or more petals).
Stem type	Stems are soft and green (do not grow very thick).	Stems can be hard and woody (some grow into big trees).
Seed Example	Maize, Rice, Wheat	Beans, Mango, Sunflower
Growth	Grows fast and mostly stays small (like grass or crops).	Can grow big and strong (like trees and bushes).

Non-flowering plants

Non-flowering plants are plants that do not produce flowers.

1. They reproduce using naked seeds (seeds not covered by fruits) or spores.
2. Many of these plants have green leaves all year round.

Examples include pine and cypress plants. These plants do not produce fruits but produce naked seeds. The seeds of these plants are not covered inside fruits. Most non-flowering plants have leaves throughout the year. These plants are a good source of fire-wood and timber.

A non-flowering plant

Examples

• Pine trees, cypress trees, ferns, and mosses.

Uses of non-flowering plants

1. Provide firewood and timber for building.
2. Used to make paper and gum.
3. Offer shelter for animals like squirrels and birds.