Why Are There So Many Angiosperms? Flashcards
What percentage of embryophytes are angiosperms?
89.4%
Embryophytes are also known as
Land plants
Secondary thickening
Formation of a new tissue by division of cells in the cambium of a woody plant that increases the girth of the stem or root.
Girth
The distance round the trunk (measured perpendicular to axis of tree)
Cambium
Tissue layer in plants that provides partially undifferentiated cells for plant growth
Between the xylem and the phloem
Smallest flowering plant in the world
Wolfia (duckweed)
Largest flowering plant in th world
Eucalyptus regnans
What type of trait is secondary thickening
Polyphyletic
Why is secondary thickening an advantage for angiosperms?
Secondary thickening enables diversity of size in angiosperms
Worlds largest flower
Rafflesia up to 1m diameter
Dry fruit
Entire pericarp becomes dry at maturity
Fleshy fruit
Pericarp and accessory parts develop in succulent tissues
Dehiscent fruit
Fruits that split open at maturity to release seeds
Indéhiscent fruits
Fruits dont split open to release seeds at maturity
Synocarpy fruits
Carpels of flower are joined together
Apocarpy fruits
Carpels of flower not joined together
False ‘accessory’ fruits
Fruit where some of the flesh isn’t derived from the floral ovary (isn’t from an adjacent tissue exterior to the carpel)
What does the angiosperm carpel and associated flower parts allow
Formation of a diverse range of fruit types
Epiphyte
Any plant that grows on another plant or object just for physical support
Climber plant
Growth habit of scandent stem (tendency to climb) or trailing
Succulent plants
Thickened and fleshy plants usually to retain water
Ephemerals
Plants with a. Short life cycle for example Arabidopsis Thalia which is a desert ephemeral.
Annual plant
Competes it’s lifecycle from germination to seed production within one growing season
Biennial plant
Takes two years to complete its life cycle
Perennial plants
Plants that live >2 years
What is plant habit
Term to define a plants overall shape and form
7 angiosperm habits
Mainly:
Trees
Shrubs
Herbs
Other types:
Epiphytes
Climbers/lianas
Switch plants
Succulent
Angiosperm ecology
Terrestrial
aquatic
Angiosperm life cycle types
Annual
Ephemeral
Biennual
Perennial
Angiosperm underground storage organs
Bulbs
Corms
Rhizosomes
Angiosperm success
Significant species number compared to other plant groups
Morphologically diverse
Habit and life history diversity
Ecologically diverse
Co exist in high diversity assemblages relative to other plant groups
Entomophily
Pollination of plants by insect
Example of wind pollinated gymnosperm
Conifer
What does entomophily do?
Decreases extinction rates by maintaining gene flow in small populations and therefore aiding survival
4 major groups of gymnosperms
Conifers
Gnetales
Cycads
Ginkgo
4 reasons for angiosperm success
- Entomophily
- The carpel
- Faster life history
- Ecological opportunity
- The fruit
What could differences in two sister lineages be due to?
Stochasticity
Synnovation
Many innovations traits
Confluence
Agreement between external factor and synnovational traits
What is synnovation and confluence?
A recent framework that provides a nuanced approach into understanding intrinsic and extrinsic features and how they may combine to promote increased rates of diversification
