R2101 1.1 Significant Plant Groups

Question 1

What is a gymnosperm [Gymnophyta]

Answer 1

Non flowering plants whose seeds are not protected by an enclosed ovary
e.g. Conifers

Question 2

What is an Angiosperm [Anthophyta]

Answer 2

Seeds that are produced within an ovary, which then develops in a fruit

Question 3

What are the 2 classes of Angiosperms

Answer 3

1. Monocotyledons e.g. grasses

2. Dicotyledons e.g. trees

Question 4

Main features of Gymnosperms [10]

Answer 4

1. Mostly conifers
2. Mostly evergreen (exceptions include Ginkgo, Larix, Metasequoia)
3. Seed bearing. Pollen spread by wind.
4. Male and female cones often on seperate tress
5. Seeds on female cones
6. Adaptations to prevent water loss - needles or scale leaves
7. Resin as an antifreeze
8. Male cones fall to the ground when pollen is released
9. Perennial
10. Vascular system more open, regular texture - SOFTWOOD

Question 5

Main feature of Angiosperms [10]

Answer 5

1. Flowering plants - 400,000 species
2. Flowers usually hermaphrodite
3. Pollinated by wind, insects, birds, beetles , bats
4. Ephemerals, annuals, biennials and perennials
5. Herbaceous and woody
6. Evergreen or deciduous
7. Flowers produce seeds inside protective fruit
8. Vascular system has cell structures called vessels - wood has irregular and dense texture - HARDWOOD
9. Vast global reach
10. Most advanced plant lifeforms

Question 6

Male and female organ distributions in Angiosperms [3]

Answer 6

1. Same plant, seperate flowers
2. Seperate flowers on seperate plants within a species
3. Same flower, same plant - most common

Question 7

Main features of Dicots [9]

Answer 7

1. 2 seed leaves (cotyledons)
2. Broad leaves with a network of viens, sometimes leaves have stalks
3. Tap roots, branching
4. Flower parts (e.g. petals) in groups of 4 or 5. Often 4 or 5 seed chambers in fruit
5. Vascular bundles arranged in a ring around stem
6. Vascular bundles in a central core (stele) in the root. Vascular cambium
7. Mainly insect pollinated
8. Secondary thickening forms woody growth
9. Most plants, trees and shrubs e.g. Betulaceae

Question 8

Main features of Monocots [9] L

Answer 8

1. 1 seed leaf (cotyledon)
2. Parallel leaves, usually alternate and sword shaped with smooth margins
3. Fibrous roots arising from one point
4. Flower petals in three or groups of three. 3 seed chambers in fruit
5. Vascular bundles in stem are scattered
6. No vascular cambium
7. Vascular tissue (stele) in root has many arms
8. Mainly wind pollinated
9. Little secondary growth, no real woody growth

examples: grasses, lillies, hostas, tulips. Largest Moncots are palms.
Liliacaeae

Question 9

Difference in number of flower parts for Monocots and Dicots

Answer 9

Monocots - 3

Dicots - 4 or 5

Question 10

Difference on main pollination method for Monocots and Dicots

Answer 10

Monocots - mainly wind

Dicots - mainly insect

Question 11

Root difference between monocots and dicots

Answer 11

Moncots - Fibrous roots arising from one point

Dicots - Tap roots , branching

Question 12

Main Hybrids (2)

Answer 12

1. Intergeneric Hybrids (uncommon)

2. Interspecfic Hybrids (common)

Question 13

What is an intergeneric Hybrid

Answer 13

The result of crossing of plants from different but releated genera (within the same family)

Question 14

What is an interspecific hybrid?

Answer 14

Result of crossing two plants from two species with the same genus

Question 15

Common name problems (3)

Answer 15

1. Different in different countries
2. Regional variations with a country
3. Not a unique identifier. Plants that are completely unrelated share common names.

Question 16

Benefits of botanical names

Answer 16

1. Are in Latin
2. No one country provides the standard name.
3. Latin is not spoke and so cant change / evolve
4. Recognised by botantists and indentifies clearly and uniquely and clearly.
5. Relationships between plants clarified because botanical names demonstrate the grouping of plants

Question 17

What is a Cultivar?

Answer 17

A cultivated variety.

Often propagated vegetatively or as an F1 hybrid

Question 18

Cutivars must show (3)

Answer 18

1. Distinctiveness
2. Uniformity
3. Stability

Question 19

2 examples of Cultivars

Answer 19

• Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’

* Rosa rugosa ‘Scabrosa’

Question 20

Monocot Examples

Answer 20

palms, bananas, sedges, rushes, grasses, irises, lilies, some bamboos, and orchids

Question 21

Half hardy annual

Answer 21

Life cycle of a year
Survive temperatures down to –5
Can be sown under protection and planted out after all danger of frost is past

Question 22

Dicot examples

Answer 22

• Magnolias, roses, honeysuckles, cacti, mallows, buttercups, teas, laurels, birches, beeches, potatoes and tomatoes, water lilies and stonecrops.
• Four of the most economically important are the Fabaceae (bean family), the Apiaceae (carrot family), the Asteraceae (daisy family) and the Brassicaceae (cabbage family).

Question 23

Half hardy annual examples (2)

Answer 23

Zinna elegans

Cosmos bipinnatus

Question 24

Hardy Annual

Answer 24

Lives for one year
Can survive and withstand temperatures below –5, and frost.
Can be sown straight into the ground in spring

Question 25

Hardy Annual examples (2)

Answer 25

Helianthus annuus ‘Valentine’
Calendula officinalis

Question 26

THREE ways in which flowering plants are different from conifers

Answer 26

Flowering plants have a range of life cycles (annual, ephemeral, biennial, perennial) - Conifers are just perennial

Flowering plants have a wide range of leaf shapes (palmate, lanceolate, pinnate, ovate) - Conifers have simple needle-like leaves

Flowering plants have enclosed seeds - Confiers have “naked” seeds.