NOTE

B I O L O G Y

PLANT KINGDOM
SYSTEMS OF CLASSIFICATION

Key takeaways

• Characteristics of plants (i) Aristotle’s system of classification

• Importance of classification (ii) Linnaeus system of classification
• History of plant classification • Natural system of classification
• Oldest system of classification (i) Bentham-Hooker’s system of classification
• Types of plant classification • Phylogenetic system of classification
• Artificial system of classification • Current system of plant classification

Number of cells Type of cell

Plants are Plant cells have a well

composed of defined nucleus and
several cells. membrane bound cell
Hence, they are organelles. Thus, they
multicellular. are eukaryotes.

Characteristics
of plants

Cell wall Mode of nutrition

Cell Wall
Oxygen Sunlight
O2
Carbon
Dioxide
CO2

Minerals Water
H2O
Plants have a cell wall that provides Presence of chloroplast enables
structure to the cells and is composed them to prepare their own food by
of cellulose. using sunlight through the process of
photosynthesis. Thus, plants exhibit
photoautotrophic mode of nutrition.

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Classification of plants

Biological classification

It is the process of grouping organisms according to the similarities and dissimilarities

in their characteristics and placing them in the taxonomic hierarchy.

Importance of classification of plants

• Convenient to study the characteristics of individual organisms.

• Classification makes researching about an organism easier.

History of plant classification

• The classification of plants has seen several contributions by different biologists over
a period of time.
• Currently, the most widely accepted system of plant classification was given by
August W. Eichler.

Oldest system of classification

The plants were classified based on - utility.

Plants

Edible plants Poisonous plants Medicinal plants

The plants that can be The plants that have The plants which have
consumed are called toxins which are harmful therapeutic (healing)
edible plants. are called as poisonous properties are called
plants. medicinal plants.

Types of classification

Artificial system of classification

• Plants are classified based on one or few morphological characteristics.

• In this system, evolutionary relationships between organisms are not considered.
Example - Aristotle’s and Linnaeus system of classification.

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Aristotle’s system of classification

• In the 2nd century, Aristotle classified plants based on - simple morphological characteristics
like height and girth.

Plants

Herbs Shrubs Trees

Plants which were short- Medium-sized plants Plants which were

sized and had no woody with woody stems and tall and had a woody
tissues were classified taller than herbs were and hard stem were
as herbs. classified as shrubs. classified as trees.

Linnaeus system of classification

• It was based on - androecium structure (number of stamens in flowers).

• Under this system of classification, 7,300 flowering plants were classified into 24 classes.

Stamens in flower Carl Linnaeus

Natural system of classification

• Organisms are classified based on - external as well as internal features.

• The various internal features includes:

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Internal features

Ultrastructure Anatomy Embryology

Fertilized
egg
Mature
The highly minute embryo
structure present The study of the internal The study associated
within a cell is called structure of an organism with embryo and its
ultrastructure. It requires is known as anatomy. development is called
a highly magnified embryology.
microscope to view
these structures.

Example - Bentham-Hooker’s system of plant classification.

Bentham-Hooker’s system of classification

• In the 19th century, George Bentham

and Joseph Dalton Hooker gave their
system of classification.
• This classification was based
on - morphology, ultrastructure,
anatomy, embryology and
phytochemistry.

George Bentham Joseph Hooker

Phytochemistry - analysis of chemicals obtained from plants.

Plant Kingdom

Cryptogams Phanerogams
(No seeds) (Have seeds)

Gymnosperms Angiosperms
(Seed not enclosed in fruit) (Seeds enclosed in fruit)

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Monocotyledons

Cotyledons

Have one embryonic leaf.

Dicotyledons

They are the seed leaves. They are

the first leaves to appear from a
germinating seed.

Have two embryonic leaves.

Phylogenetic system of classification

• According to the theory of Charles • It’s also to be noted that existing species
Darwin, organisms experience a originate from ancestors that looked quite
gradual change in their characteristics different from them.
over successive generations.

Charles Darwin

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• The organisms were classified based on 100

evolutionary relationships between them. Lemon
100
Mandarin

Sweet orange

100
Blood orange

Phylogenetic classification is done based on the following:

• Fossil record - Dead remains of organisms are known

as fossils. The fossils help in understanding the
characteristics of the ancestors of an organism.

Characters
Taxa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
•N
 umerical taxonomy -
Classification of organisms based A 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
on a numerical algorithm. The
character of the organism under B 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0
the study is given numbers
and codes. Using several C 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1
mathematical tools the taxonomy
is performed. D 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

E 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

1.0
A B C D E B C A D E
0.9
0.8
A -
0.7
B 0.7 - 0.6
0.5
C 0.7 0.8 - 0.4
0.3
D 0.4 0.7 0.5 -
0.2

E 0.1
0.4 0.7 0.5 0.8 -
0.0

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•C
 ytotaxonomy - It involves the classification of organisms based on the chromosome number,
structure and behavior.

Metacentric Submentacentric Acrocentric Telocentric

•C
 hemotaxonomy - Classification of plants based on the chemicals they are composed of.

Current system of plant classification

• The present system of plant classification was proposed by August W. Eicher.

• This system of classification was based on evolutionary relationships.

Plant Kingdom

Cryptogams Phanerogams

Thallophyta Bryophyta Pteridophyta

Gymnosperms Angiosperms

Summary sheet

Multicellular - Organisms that are composed of

more than one cell are called multicellular.

Eukaryotes - Organisms that have a well developed

Characteristics
nuclear membrane are called eukaryotes.
of plants

Photoautotrophic - The mode of nutrition in which

the food is prepared by an organism on its own
using the energy from sunlight .

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Classification of plants

Time line System Basis of Classification

classification
Edible
Oldest system
2 MYA Utility Plants Plants
of classification
Medicinal

Herbs Artificial
2 Century
nd
Aristotle’s system Morphological system of
Plants Shrubs classification
BC of classification characters
Trees

Linnaeus’ system Stamens in 24 classes of

of classification flowers flowering plants

Cryptogams
Plants
• Ultrastructure Phanerogams
Bentham- Natural
19 Century
th
• Anatomy
Hooker’s system system of
AD • Embryology
of classification Gymnosperm classification
• Phytochemistry

Angiosperms
• Phylogenetic
system Cryptogams
• Fossil evidence Plants
• Numerical Phanerogams
taxonomy
• Cytotaxonomy Gymnosperms
19th Century August W.
AD Eichler’s system • Chromosome
Angiosperms
number
• Chromosome
structure Thallophyta
• Chromosome Bryophyta
behaviour Pteridophyta
• Chemotaxonomy
Thallophyta
Eichler’s system
+ Bryophyta
Present Modern Plant Pteridophyta
classification Kingdom
Gymnosperms
system
Angiosperms

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