CHAPTER #08 DIVERSITY AMONG PLANTS

Plants:
Multicellular eukaryotic organisms that are photosynthetic autotrophs and are characterized by the
development of embryo

Evolutionary Relation in Plants:

 The shoots have leaves, bearing stomata for the exchange of gases with the environment as
these are absorbed from water in aquatic mode of life
 Roots have developed hairs for increase in the surface area, resulting in effective absorption
of water and mineral salts
 Arial parts of most of the plants have a waxy layer called cuticle, which prevents excessive
water loss.
 The cells have developed lignin in the walls as which makes them thick, tough and woody.
 They have developed sporopollenin, which resists environmental damage
 Their embryos are well protected against desiccation as plants produce their gametes within
organs called gametangia. The egg is fertilized within the females gametangium and the
zygote develops into an embryo that is retained and nourished for some time within a jacket
of protective cells.

General Characteristics of Plants:

 They are non-motile.

 They make their own food and hence are called autotrophs.
 They reproduce asexually by vegetative propagation or sexually.
 These are multicellular eukaryotes. The plant cell contains the outer cell wall and a large central
vacuole.
 Plants contain photosynthetic pigments called chlorophyll present in the plastids which convert
light energy into food energy.
 They have different organelles for anchorage, reproduction, support and photosynthesis.
 Presence or absence of a vascular system for the transportation of water and other substances.
E.g. Phloem and Xylem.

Alternation of Generation and Sexual Reproduction:

Plants alternate between the diploid sporophyte and haploid gametophyte, and between asexual and
sexual reproduction. Therefore, the life cycle of plants is known as alternation of generations.

Plants alternate between two different life stages, or generations, in their life cycle; a haploid stage called
gametophyte and a diploid stage called sporophyte. The terms haploid and diploid refer to the number of
chromosomes contained in the cells.

NON VASCULAR AND VASCULAR PLANTS:

Non-Vascular Plants:

A nonvascular plant is any species of plant which does not have specialized vascular tissues. This

includes mosses (Bryophyta), liverworts (Marchantiophyta) and hornworts (Anthocerotophyta). Members

of these groups, which live in both marine environments and on land, are considered a nonvascular plant.
Bryophytes:

General Features:
 They are nonvascular plants and are commonly known as liverworts, hornworts and mosses.
 Bryophytes display the embryophyte condition, which was one of the main adaptations that
made the migration from land to water possible
 Their gametes develop within gametangia, which may male called antheridium and female
called archegonium
 The antheridium produces flagellated sperms and the archegonium produces ova.
 The egg is fertilized within the archegonium and zygote develops into an embryo within the
protection of the female organ.
 They still depend on water as they need water to reproduce because their sperms are
flagellated which swim from the antheridium to the archegonium to fertilize the egg.
 Bryophytes lack the lignin-fortified tissue required to support tall plants or land so they form
mats over a large surface area or grow as small plants 1-2cm high.
 There is regular heteromorphic alternation of generation between dominant gametophyte
generation and smaller sporophyte generations, which are generally smaller and dependent on
the gametophyte for water and nutrient.
 The diploid sporophyte produces haploid sporopollenin-protected spores via meiosis in its
sporangium, which disperse and give rise to new gametophytes
 Bryophytes lack vascular tissue and fertilization required an outside source of moisture.
Windblown spores disperse the species.
 The bryophytes are classified into the following groups.

Life Cycle of Bryophytes:

The bryophyte lifecycle consists of alternating generations between the haploid gametophyte and the

diploid sporophyte. During the gametophyte stage, haploid gametes (male and female) are formed in the

specialized sex organs: the antheridia (male) and archegonia (female). The gametes consist of flagellated

sperm, which swim via water or are transported by insect species. The two haploid gametes (sperm and

egg) fuse, a diploid zygote is formed. As described above, the zygote of bryophytes grows inside the

archegonia and will eventually become a diploid sporophyte. Mature sporophytes remain attached to the

gametophyte and generate haploid spores via meiosis inside the sporangium. These spores (protonema)

are dispersed, and under favorable environmental conditions become new gametophytes.
Adaptation to Land Habitat:
It seems that the life started in water and the conquest of the land must have been a long and difficult
process and the plants had to develop new structures.
When plants invaded the land from the sea, they must have faced many problems such as obtaining and
conversing water and exchanging gases with the atmosphere. In order to survive on land they first
adopted themselves to an amphibians mode of life as bryophytes and then gradually decreased their
dependence on water. The amphibians plants show following adaptive characters.

1. Rhizoids For Water Absorption:

 Bryophytes have rhizoids for water absorption, which are long, filamentous extensions of the
cells of the lower surface of the thallus. They increase the surface for absorption of water and
assist in anchorage of plant to the soil.

2. Conservation of Water:
The thallus of bryophytes is made up of many layers and is many cells thick but only a small
percentage have surfaces directly exposed to the drying effects of the atmosphere. The outer and
uppermost layer of cells is covered with non-cellular waxy cuticle, which reduces the rate of
evaporation.

3. Absorption of Carbon Dioxide:

They contain several aerating pores on the leaves, which are connected to air chambers. These
pores provide a passage to the entering and exit of the gases, which diffuse across the wet
surfaces of the photosynthetic cells into and out of the cytoplasm. The surface also assists in
evaporation of water, which is replaced by absorption through rhizoids.

4. Heterogamy
Bryophytes produce two different types of gametes. The gametes are motile and small and the
female gametes are non-motile and full of stored food..

Formation of Embryo:
Embryo formation occurs in all amphibious plants. The fertilization occurs within archegonium
and a zygote called oospore is formed. The growth of the embryo takes place inside the protective
coverings of the archegonia, which protect the growing embryo from desiccation and mechanical
injury.

5. Protection of reproductive cells:

They are very well protected as the male gametes are produced in reproductive organs called

antherida and female gametes are produced in archegonia, which are present at the apices of leafy

shoots. These plants also contain hair like structures called paraphyses, which help to prevent

drying of the sex organs

Advantages of Bryophytes:
 Marchantia has been used for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis and pain in the liver.
  They are very important in initiating soil formation on barren areas, maintaining soil moisture and
recycling nutrients.
 Mosses and lichens are the first organisms to colonise rocks.
 Mosses and liverworts are used in research in the field of genetics.
 Some mosses provide food for herbaceous mammals, birds and other mammals.
 Sphagnum is also known as peat moss.
 Antibiotic substances can be extracted from certain bryophytes having antibiotic properties.

VACULAR PLANTS:
Tracheophytes:
Tracheophytes are advanced plants. They are vascular plants and have evolved a number of adaptations to
the terrestrial environment that have enabled them to invade all the inhospitable land habitats.
Almost all vascular plants possess four important characters.
 1. A protective layer of sterile jacket cells around the reproductive organs
2. Multicellular embryos retained within the archegonia
3. Cuticle on the aerial parts
4. Xylem and Phloem

Xylem is majorly responsible for carrying water and salt along with minerals whereas the phloem halps in
transportation of food. Xylem also contain lignified cells which can support the structure of a plant.
Sclerenchymatous cell also facilitates in the support of the plant..
The dominant phase of Vascular plants is Sporophyte plant.

The major groups of vascular plants are as follows:

1. Seedless Plants which includes (Psilopsida, Lycopsida and sphenopsida)
2. Seeded Plants ehich includes (Angiosperms and gymnosperms)

Subdivision Psilopsida (Psilopsids):

Rhynia is an extinct plant that lived in Devonian period. Psilotum and Temespteris are the two living
genera. Some scientists indicate that they may be very primitive ferns, in that case Psilopsida contains
only extinct species.

Structure:
1. The sporophytes are simple dichotomously branching plants that lack leaves and have no true
roots.
2. They have underground stems bearing unicellular rhizoids similar to root hairs
3. The aerial stems are green and carry out photosynthesis
4. There is no cambium, so these plants do not exhibit secondary growth
5. Sporangia develop at the tips of some of the aerial branches and produce haploid spores by
meiosis

Alternation of Generation:
In Psilotum and Tmesipteris the main plant is sporophyte, which produces spores. The spores give rise to
minute subterranean gametophytes. Each gametophyte bears both archegonia and antheridia and thus
produce both eggs and sperm. When the gametes unite, they form diploid zygotes that develop into the
Sporophyte plants.

Subdivision Lycopsida (The Club Mosses):

Structure:
Lycopsids have true roots, stem and leaves. Some of the leaves that are specialized for reproduction bear
sporangia on their surfaces and are called sporophylls. In many Lycopsids the sporophylls are clustered
on a short length of stem and form a club shaped structure called strobilus, giving them the name “Club
Mosses”

Life Cycle:

Sporophyte:
The main plant is a sporophyte, which produces spores. On the basis of spore production the plants may
be divided into two types.

Homosporous Plants:
The plants in which the sporophyte produces spores of only one kind, such as lycopodium, are called
homosporous plants. These spores give rise to a gametophyte that will bear both archegonia and
antheridia.
Heterosporous Plants:
The plants in which the sporophytes produces spores of two different types, are called heterosporous
plants. These spores are usually produced in two different types of sporangia and the larger are called
megaspores while the smaller ones are named as microspores.

Gametophyte:
Homosporous Plant:
Homosporous plants have only one kind of gametophyte, which bears both male and female organs

Heterosporous Plant:
Heterosporous plants produce two types of gametophyte:
 Female gameotophyte develop from megaspores and bear archegonia
 Male gametophytes develop from microspores and bear antheridia

Selaginella kraussiana is a common green house plant, it exhibits heterospory. Production of two types of
spores by a plant is called heterospory. These spores produce two different gametophytes as the
microspore grows into a sperm forming gametophyte while the megasporem grows into egg forming
diecious gametophyte.

Subdivision Sphenopsida (The Horse Tails):

Structure:
They are commonly called horsetails. Most of them are small but fossil record reveals large trees.
Sphenopsids possess true roots, stems and leaves. The stem are hollow and are jointed. Whorls of leave
occur at each joint. Many of the extinct sphenopsids showed secondary growth as they had cambium but
the modern species do not possess cambium.

Life Cycle:
Sporophyte:
Main plant is a sporophyte and spores are produced in terminal cones called strobili. Eqnisetum are
homosporous and produce similar spores, which give rise to small gametophytes

Gametophytes:
Gametophytes bear both archegonia and antheridia on the same plants and produce gametes, which after
fertilization produce the sporophyte.

Subdivision Filicinophyta (The Ferns):

Structure:
The ferns are fairly advanced with a well-developed vascular system and with true roots, stems and
leaves. The leaves of ferns are generally compound. The stem is commonly prostrate underground or
above the ground but may be upright.

Lifecycle:
The life cycle if the fern Adiantum or dryopteris shows heteromorphic alternation of generation, with
main sporophytic phase.

Sporophyte:
 The sporophyte is diploid and consists of adventitious roots, underground stem called
rhizome and pinnately compound leaves.
  Reproduction takes place by means of haploid spores formed from the spore mother cells
after meiosis inside sporangia, which are present in clusters inside the sori, present on leaves
called sporophyll.
 Each sporangium consists of a stalk called sporangiophore and a biconvex capsule consisting
of annulus and stomium.
 Each spore mother cell divides by meiosis to form four haploid spores that are liberated
through stomium.

Gametophyte:
 Each spore on germination give rise to miniature heart shaped bisexual autotrophic
gametophyte called prothallus, which is fixed to the soil with rhizoids.
 The prothallus is monoecious and contains archegonia and antheridia on the same plant.
Archegonium cosnists of venter with an ovum and antheridium produces a number of
antherozoids or sperms.

Evolution of the leaf:

The leaf is the most important organ of a green plant because of its photosynthetic activity.

One-Veined/Microphyllous Leaf:
The evolution of microphyllous can be described by two mechanisms :

Enation theory:
It is possible that a thorn like outgrowth called enation emerged on the surface of the naked stem.
Gradually the vascular tissues also appeared for the supply of water and support to the leaf and the leaf
increased in size.

Reduction theory:
It is possible that a single veined leaf originated by a reduction in size of a part of the leafless. This is how
leaf of lycopodium and equisetum.

Many Veined/ Megaphyllous Leaf:

Webed theory:
Megaphyllous leaf originated later due to gradual evolutionary modifications of the forked branching
system in the primitive plants. The first step in the evolution of this leaf was the restriction of forked
branches to a single plane, which caused the branching system to become flat, the next step in the
evolution was filling of the space between the branching and the vascular tissue. The leaf so formed
looked like the web foot of a duck.

Vascular plants as successful land plants:

 Vascular plants have some adaptations that help them survive.
 They are covered with a waxy layer, or cuticle that holds in water.
 They also have stomata, or pores that help them take in and let out gasses like carbon dioxide and
oxygen.
 Their roots take up water and nutrients from the soil and anchor them to the soil.

Importance of Seedless Vascular plants:

 Mosses and liverworts provide food and shelter for other organisms in otherwise barren or hostile
environments.
 The level of pollution in an environment can be determined by the disappearance of mosses,
which absorb the pollutants with moisture through their entire surfaces.
  Dried peat moss is used as a renewable resource for fuel.
 Ferns prevent soil erosion, promote topsoil formation, restore nitrogen to aquatic habitats by
harboring cyanobacteria, make good house plants, and have been used as food and for medicinal
remedies.
 Coal, a major fuel source and contributor to global warming, was deposited by the seedless
vascular plants of the Carboniferous period.

Spermatophytes (The Seed Plants):

General Features:
 The gametophytes are very much reduced and are not photosynthetic or free-living.
 The sperm of most modern species are unflagellated and dependent cells.
 The young embryo, together with a rich supply of nutrients, is enclosed within a desiccation-
resistant seed coat and can remain dormant for extended periods if environmental conditions
are not favorable.

Evolution of Seed:
Evolution of seed was a gradual phenomenon, which helped the plants to spread far and wide as the seeds
are well protected, can travel large distances and can remain dormant for a long period of time.
The evolution of seed occurred in three distinct steps.

1. Heterospory:
Production of two types of spores by a plant is called heterospory. These spores produce two
different gametophytes as the microspore grows into a sperm forming gametophyte while the
megasporem grows into egg forming gametophyte.

2. Protection (Megasporangia):
The two kinds of spores are produced in two different kinds of sporangia, which are protected by
different enveloping structures. The carboniferous era reveals some fern like plants that bore scale
like structures surrounding the spores. In some plants, the spores were surrounded by branch like
outgrowths from the sporophyte. These outgrowths became fused as an envelope or integument
around the sporangia, which also stores food.

3. Retention of Mature Megaspore:

These plants also developed the mechanism of retaining the mature megaspores in the sporangia,
which later develops into female gametophyte. This increases the chances of survival of the
female gametophyte and ensures sage growth and development.

The spermopsids are divided into two groups:

1. Gymnospermae
2. Angiospermae

1. The Gymnosperms:

General Features:
 Their ovules are not covered by the ovaries so they have naked seeds.
 They are generally called sago plants and are fairly common in some tropical regions.
 The best-known group of gymnosperms is the conifers.
  The leaves of most of these plants are small evergreen needles or scales with a internal
arrangement of tissues that differs somewhat from that in angiosperms.
 The life cycle of a pine tree as Pinus as an example.

Life Cycle of Pinus:

Sporophyte:
The main pinus tree is the diploid sporophyte stage. This tree produces reproductive structures called
cones of two kinds.

Female Cones:
 Female cones are large and consists of a short axis surrounded by small scaled called bract
scales.
 On the upper surface of each bract scale there are larger woody scales called ovuliferous scale
or megasporophyll bearing two sessile ovules on its base.
 Each ovule consists of central mass of tissue called nucellus or megasporangium
 Nucellus is surrounded by an integument with three layers and contains a wide gap known as
micropyle
 Within the nucellus a megaspore mother cell is present, which undergoes meiosis to produce
four megaspores out of which three disintegrate and only one survives.

Female Gametophyte:
 The single megaspore germinates and give rise to the female gametophyte, which is produces
within the nucellus.
 On enlarging it gives rise to 2-5 archegonia at the micropylar end, each containing egg cells.
 The megaspore is not released from the sporangium, and the female gametophyte remains
embedded in the sporangium, which is still attached to the cone scale.
 The composite structure consisting of integument, sporangium and female, gametophyte is
called an ovule.

Male Cones:
 Male cones are small and present in clusters and contain microsporophylls or stamens
 Each microsporophylls consists of a stalk and a leafy expansion and contains pollen sac or
microsporangia
 Each microsporangium contains numerous microspore mother cells, each of which is
provided with several microspore mother cells.
 All of these mother cells produce microspores or pollen grains by meiosis.

Male Gametophyte:
 Each pollen grain has two coats, the outer is called exine and the inner is known as intine.
They are resistant to dessication, and contain wing like structure for wind-dispersal.
 Within the pollen grain the haploid nucleus divides mitotically and finally gives rise to two
cells called the generative cell and the tube cell
 These mature pollen grains, which will form the male gametophytes, are released in millions
and are dispersed by the wind.
 The male gametophyte is the germinated pollen grain.

Fertilization:
  The pollen grains which reach female cone and land in the sticky secretion near the open
micropylar end of an ovule, are drawn through the micropyle, the arms of the integument
swell and close the mocropylar opening.
 When a pollen grain comes in contact with the end of sporangium, it develops a tubular
outgrowth called the pollen tube.
 The generative cell then divides, and finally produces two sperm cells, one of which fertilizes
the egg cell.

Development of Sporophyte:
 The resulting zygote then divided mitotically to produce a tiny embryo sporophyte consisting
of a hypocotyl and an epicotyl
 The embryo is still contained in the female gametophyte, which is itself contained in the
sporangium.
 Finally, the entire ovule is shed from the cone as seed, which consists of three main
components.
1. A seed coat derived from the old integument.
2. Stored food material derived from the tissue of the female gametophyte
3. Embryo

Importance of Gymnosperms:

 Gymnosperms are a good source of food. Seeds of these non-flowering plants are widely used as
an edible species, used for producing various food products. These plant species include: ginko,
pinus, cycas, etc.
 Other than the food, gymnosperms are widely used by the pharmaceutical industry for the
production of various medicines, which are effectively used to treat infectious disease and other
allergies including cold, cough, asthma, bronchitis, etc
 Oil extracted from the barks, wood and other parts of the plants are used in the cosmetics
industries in the production of perfumes, room fresheners and other fragrance spray.
 There are a few species of non-flowering plants, which are widely used as ornaments for
decoration purposes. For example- fern.
 Different species of Cycas plants are used in the treatment of different diseases and also in the
production of different hair care products, including oil, lotion, shampoo, etc.

The Angiosperms:

General Features:
 They have their seed enclosed in fruit because ovules are covered by ovary
 The reproductive structures of angiosperms, are flowers and the ovules are enclosed within
modified leaves called carpels.

Difference between Monocotyledon & Dicotyledon:

First Stage:

 Sporophyte generation controls all the vascular plants' life cycles. (All plants have a cycle in
which they undergo alternation of generations. This process involves haploid multicellular
generation called a gametophyte and diploid multicellular generation called the sporophyte.
Haploid means having only one set of chromosomes written as ‘n’ and diploid means having two
sets of chromosomes written as ‘2n’.)
 The sporophyte (diploid multicellular generation) phase or the adult phase is an important process
of an angiosperm’s life cycle comprising the first stage.
 It is also known as the adult phase, and gymnosperms and angiosperms are heterosporous.
 They generate microspores, that will produce pollen grains as the male gametophytes, and
megaspores, which will form an ovule that contains female gametophytes. It is one of the two
alternating multicellular phases in the life cycle of the plants.
Second Stage:

 In the second stage of the angiosperm life cycle, the generation of haploid microspores occur
inside the anther, microsporangia and male gametophytes are divided by meiosis. This in return
undergoes mitosis, and pollen grains rise. Microsporangia are sporangia that produce microspores
which give rise to male gametophytes at the time of germination.
 Among both cells, one is the generative cell divided into two sperm parts, and after that, the
second cell generates with the pollen tube cells.
 Megasporangium is present inside the ovule, sheltered within the ovary of the carpel and it is
protected by two layers of integuments and the ovary wall. With every megasporangium, a
megaspore undergoes meiosis which generates four megaspores.
 The meiosis process occurs in the megasporangium, generating one large megaspore and three
small megaspores. Meiosis is the process where a single cell divides twice to produce four cells.
 In all these megaspores, the large one survives, and it produces the female gametophyte which
changes into an embryo sac.
 The megaspore divides three times to form an eight-cell stage.
Third Stage & Final Stage:

 The migration process of the cells starts in the final stage of the angiosperm life cycle. Out of the
eight cells, four cells shift towards the embryo sac pole; two move to the equator and ultimately
fuse to form a 2n polar nucleus.
 A grown-up embryo sac has a single egg cell and a couple of helping cells known as synergids.
 Only the mature embryo sac has a single egg cell and two synergids ("helper" cells), three
antipodal cells, and two polar nuclei cells in a central cell.
 Once the pollen grain reaches the stigma, a pollen tube extends from the grain and enters via the
micropyle, an opening to the ovule's integuments.
 Inside the embryo sac, two sperm cells are deposited. Thus, the process of double fertilization
starts after the deposition of sperm cells takes place in the embryo sac, and the future embryo is
formed by the combination of an egg and sperm.
 The endosperm is formed when the other sperm (the second sperm) combines with the 2n polar
nuclei. The endosperm is tissue that acts as a food reserve.
Angiosperms as successful land plants:
1. The gametophyte generation is much reduced and is always protected inside the sporophyte and
is totally dependent on it.
2. Fertilization is not dependent on water and the male gametes are nonmotile and carried within
pollen grains, which are easily dispersed by wind, insects or other means.
3. They produce seeds, which are resistant to environmental changes.
4. They contain lignified tissue as xylem and sclerenchyma, which provides support in all vascular
plants.
5. Many vascular plants show secondary growth with deposition of large amounts of wood that
enables them to become trees or shrubs.
6. They also contain true roots to absorb soil water efficiently
7. These plants are protected from desiccation by an epidermis with a waterproof cuticle, or by cork
after secondary thickening has taken place in dicot stem.
8. The epidermis of aerial parts is perforated by stomata, allowing gaseous exchange between plant
and atmosphere.
9. They are well adapted to the particular environmental they inhabit.

Inflorescence:
Inflorescence is the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis. The flowers are arranged with respect to a fixed
floral axis.
Kinds of Inflorescence:
There are two types of inflorescence:
1. Racemose
2. Cymose
1. Racemose:
In this type of inflorescence, the main axis continues to grow. It does not terminate in a flower and gives off
flowers laterally in an acropetal manner (where old flowers are arranged lower side and young flowers are on
the upper side). We can further divide it into:

 Raceme: When peduncle or (main axis) is elongated and flowers are

pedicellate. Eg. Radish, Mustard
  Catkin/Amentum: Here, the peduncle is thin, long and weak. The flowers are sessile and
unisexual. Eg. Mulberry, Betula, Oak.

 Spadix: In it, the peduncle is thick, long and fleshy. The flowers are small, sessile and
unisexual. Examples include Colocasia, Maize, Aroids, Palms etc.

 Corymb: In it, the peduncle is short and all flowers are present at the same level because
the lower flower has much long pedicel than the upper one. eg. Candytuft

 Umbel: An inflorescence in which the flower stalks are of more or less equal in length,
arise from the same point. At the base of flowers stalk, there is a whorl of bracts forming
the involucre. Eg.Centella

 Capitulum/Racemose head (Anthodium): Here, the peduncle doesn’t grow. It becomes

broad, flattened concave or convex.

2. Cymose:

In this type of inflorescence, the peduncle terminates in a flower.  Here, the older flowers are present at the
upper portion and young buds are arranged towards the base. This arrangement is called as the basipetal
succession. It is of the following types:

 Uniparous cyme/Monochasial cyme: The peduncle ends in a flower producing lateral

branch at a time It is of two types again: Helicoid cyme and Scorpioid cyme.

 Dichasial or biparous cyme: In this type, peduncle ends in a flower and from the basal
part of peduncle, two lateral branches arise. These also end in a flower and this same
arrangement occurs on these lateral branches. Eg.  Bougainvillaea, Jasmine, Teak,
Mirabilis.

 Multiparous cyme/Polychasial: Here, the peduncle ends in a flower and from the base of

it many lateral branches arise, which also terminate in flowers.

Importance of Angiosperms in Human Life:

Angiosperms are as important to humans as they are to other animals. Angiosperms serve as the
major source of food either directly or indirectly through consumption by herbivores. They are a
primary source of consumer goods, such as building materials, textile fibres, spices and herbs,
and pharmaceuticals.

Some of their important uses are given as follows:

 1. Fruits:

The flowering plants have a number of uses as food, specifically as grains, sugars, vegetables, fruits, oils,
nuts, and spices.
A large number of fruits belongs to family Rasaceae like almonds, peaches, apples, pears, cherries,
raspberries etc. From family Rutaceae Citrus fruits, banana from family Mucaceae and papaya from
family Carcicaceae.

2. Vegetables:
 Among the most important food plants on a global scale are cereals from the grass family
Poaceae.

 Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and chili peppers from the potato family Solanaceae.

 Legumes or beans from Family Fabaceae. 

 Pumpkins, melons, and gourds from the squash family(Cucurbitaceae) 

 Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, and other vegetables from the mustard family

(Brassicaceae).

3. Pharmaceutical Plants:

 The angiosperms provide valuable pharmaceuticals.

 With the exception of antibiotics, almost all medicinals either are derived directly from
compounds produced by angiosperms or, if synthesized, were originally discovered in
angiosperms.
 This includes some vitamins (e.g., vitamin C, originally extracted from fruits); aspirin, originally
from the bark of willows (Salix; Salicaceae).
 Narcotics (e.g., opium and its derivatives from the opium poppy
and quinine from Cinchona (Rubiaceae) bark.
 Some angiosperm compounds that are highly toxic to humans have proved to be effective in the
treatment of certain forms of cancer, such as acute leukemia (vincristine from the Madagascar
periwinkle)

DIVERSITY AMONG PLANTS

1. Not related to plants

a) Multicellular b) photosynthetic c) eukaryotic d) similar gametophyte and
sporophyte e) both a and b
2. ______ is the dominant generation in case of xylem bearing plants
a) Diploid generation b) haploid generation c) triploid generation d) tetraploid
generation
e) Polyploidy generation

3. ________is the dominant generation in case of non-vascular plants

a) Diploid generation b) haploid generation c) triploid generation d) tetraploid
generation
e) Polyploidy generation

4. In case of plants, spores are produced by_________

a) Male, haploid plant generation
b) Female, haploid plant generation
c) Sexual plant generation
d) Haploid plant generation
e) None

5. In case of plants, spores are produced by _______

a) Male, haploid plant generation
b) Female, haploid plant generation
c) Sexual plant generation
d) Haploid plant generation
e) None

6. Spores are produced inside _____

a) Male gametangium b) female gametangium c) sporangium d) sporophyte
e) both a and b

7. In case of Moss, gametes are produced by

a) Female gametangium b) sporangium c) male gametangium d) archegonium
e) both a and d

8. In case of Moss, no-motile gametes are produced by ______

a) Female gametangium b) sporangium c) male gametangium d) archegonium
e) both a and d

9. _______ is homosporous
s) lycopodium b) sellagenilla c) psilotum d) both a and b
e) both a and c

10. Regarding strobilus of lycopsids which statement is false?

a) Cluster of sporophylls b) club-shaped c) a component of sporophyte d) a component
of gametophyte
e) Help in reproduction

11. In lycopsids, male gametophyte is produced by_______

a) Homosporous sporophyte b) diploid spore c) the germination of megaspore
d) The germination of microspore e) none

12. Antheridium is present at________

 a) Male gametophyte b) female gametophyte c) male sporophyte d) female sporophyte
e) both a and c

13. Archegonium is present at _______

a) Male gametophyte b) female gametophyte c) male sporophyte d) female sporophyte
e) both a and c

14. Regarding Rhynia which statement is false?

a) Gametophyte was dominant b) extinct plant c) sporophyte was dominant d) vascular
plant e) both a and d

15. Regarding female gametophyte of Angiosperms, which statement is false?

a) Seven called structure
b) Formed inside megasporangium
c) Having one egg cell
d) Formed by functional megaspore
e) Having two diploid nuclei

16. Reproductive structures of Angiosperms are ______

a) Male cone b) female cone c) flower d) sporangia e) both a and b
17. Reproductive structures of Gymnosperms are _________
a) Cone b) gametangia c) flower d) sporangia e) both a and b

18. Regarding strobilus which statement is false?

a) Cluster of sporophyll b) present in lycopsida c) present in pteropsida
d) club shaped
e) Present in sphenopsida

19. Regarding female cone of Pinus which statement is false?

a) Having bract scales
b) Having megasporophylls
c) Each megasporangium has two megaspore mother cells
d) Main axis called Thalamus
e) Each megasporangium has two megaspore mother cells

20. In floral formula K stands for _______

a) Ccalyx b) corolla c) androecium d) gynoecium

21. In floral formula C stands for_______

a) Ccalyx b) corolla c) androecium d) gynoecium

22. One of the extinct plant from Psilopsida

a) Rhynia b) selaginella c) psilotum d) lycopodium
e) none

23. Filament is a part of ______

a) Sepal b) petal c) stamen d) carpel

24. Pistal is a part of _______

 a) Sepal b) petal c) stamen d) carpel

25. Pollen grains are produced in ________

a) Anther b) microsporangia c) filament d) stamen

26. A group of Gymnosperms

a) Psilopsida b) spermopsida c) conifer d) angiosperms

27. Wind blown pollen grains are found in ____

a) Pinus b) brassica c) rose d) sada bahar

28. Division Tracheophyta is further divided into ______sub-divisions

a) 2 b) 3 c) 4 d) 5 e) 6

29. Not found in Bryophytes

a) Rhizoids b) spores c) thallus d) roots

30. Marchantia is commonly known as ______

a) Anthroceros b) moss c) liver worts d) horn wort e) none

31. Musci is commonly known as _________

a) Anthroceros b) moss c) liver worts d) horn wort e) none

32. Anthocerotae is commonly known as ________

a) Anthroceros b) moss c) liver worts d) horn wort e) none

33. Which one is dependent gametophyte?

a) Gametophyte of funaria b) gametophyte of ferm c) gametophyte of
marchantia
d) Gametophyte of pinus e) gametophyte anthroceros

34. All require water for fertilization except _______

a) Sperms of fern b) sperms of funaria c) sperm of marchantia d) sperms of ulva e)
sperms of angioseroms

35. Not a part of bryophyte sporophyte

a) Foot b) seta c) capsule d) rhizoid e) sporangium

36. All are true about the spores of bryophytes except

a) Haploid
b) Help in asexual reproduction
c) Produced in sporangium
d) Uni-flagellated
e) Wind blown

37. Marchantia is a ______ plant

a) Unisexual b) bisexual c) monoecious d) both a and c
e) both b and c

38. Gametophyte of fern is _______

 a) Unisexal b) bisexual c) dioecious d) dependent
e) both a and c

39. Bi-flagellated sperms of fern are ______

a) Phototactic b) hydrotactic c) magnetotactic d) chemotactic
e) thermotactic

40. Spores produced bodies are present on special leaves called _______
a) Sori b) sporangium c) sporophyll d) pinnule
e) both c and d

41. Aerial stem of Rhynia bear ______

a) Male cone b) bunch of sporophyll c) spore producing body d) male
gametangium
e) Female gametangium

42. Existing sphenopsids does not posses _______

a) Vascular bundles b) gametophyte stage c) sporophyte stage d) cambium
e) none

43. Pollen grains with wings are found in ______

a) Fern b) equisetum c) selaginella d) pinus e) both
a and d

44. Leaves of fern are________

a) Simple b) pinnately compound c) underground d) non-chlorophyllous
e) none

45. Rhizoids are not found in ________

a) Gametophyte of moss b) gametophyte of fern c) gametophyte of Psilotum d)
gametophyte of pinus
e) Sporophyte of Rhynia

46. Antherozoid is a __________

a) Flagellated male gamete b) un-flagellated male gamete c) flagellated female gamete

d) Un-flagellated male gamete

ANSWERS
1. D 11. D 21. B 31. B 41. C
2. A 12. A 22. A 32. A 42. D
3. B 13. B 23. C 33. D 43. D
4. E 14. A 24. D 34. E 44. B
5. E 15. E 25. B 35. D 45. D
6. C 16. E 26. C 36. D 46. A
7. C 17. A 27. A 37. A
8. A 18. C 28. D 38. B
9. E 19. C 29. D 39. D
10. D 20. A 30. C 40. C