Classifying Plants Classify: to sort into groups

S5L1: Students will classify organisms into groups and relate how they determined the groups with how and why scientist use classification. b. Demonstrate how plants are sorted into groups.

One Way to Group Plants Vascular Plants Nonvascular Plants

Vascular: means having tubes. Vascular plants have tubes that carry water from the roots to the leaves. They have other tubes that carry food from the leaves to the rest of the plant. When the weather is very dry, plants use up the water in their tubes. After this water is gone, their stems get limp and the plants wilt.

Nonvascular: means does not have tubes. These plants soak up water and food from the soil, like sponges. They are smaller plants because much of the plant has to be touching the soil.

Fungi Instead of producing their own food from sunlight, fungi get their food from dead plants and animals. Fungi break these dead things into tiny pieces and then they soak up the food into pieces. Examples: mushrooms, yeast, and mold. Fungi does not make it’s own food.

Another Way to Group Plants Plants can be grouped by the way that they produce new plants (or reproduce). – By producing seeds or cones – By producing spores – By growing from a part of the parent plant

By producing seeds or cones Plants that produce seeds first produce flowers with pollen in them. Pollen is a special dust that helps plants reproduce. Birds, bees, and the wind carry the pollen from one flower to another. Flowers that receive pollen then produce seeds. Some flowering plants also produce fruit. Pine trees produce cones but no flowers. These cones contain pollen.

By producing spores Some plants do not produce flowers, pollen, seeds, or cones…they produce spores. A spore is a tiny cell that can grow into a plant. Spores drop off the plant into the soil and then begin to grow. Spores need to land on very moist soil.

By growing from a part of the parent plant Some plants can reproduce in 2 ways: they can grow from seeds or from a part of a parent plant. Example: a new potato plant can grow from seeds of from the “eye” of a potato. Strawberry plants and some kinds of grass send out runners.

In which two groups does moss belong? a)Vascular and seed-producing b)Vascular and spore-producing c)Nonvascular and seed-producing d)Nonvascular and spore-producing

Why is a fern a vascular plant? a)It has tubes inside its leaves and stems b)It has no tubes inside its leaves and stems c)It grows from spores d)It grows from seeds

Do spore-producing plants need birds and bees to help them reproduce? a)Yes, because birds and bees help spread their pollen. b)No, because they have no pollen to spread. c)Yes, because they have no flowers. d)No, because they have no cones.

Which statement is TRUE? a)The biggest plant is nonvascular. b)The biggest plants reproduce by spores. c)All plants use pollen or cones to reproduce. d)All plants must reproduce to survive.

In which 2 groups does a cherry tree belong? a)Vascular and seed-producing b)Vascular and spore-producing c)Nonvascular and seed-producing d)Nonvascular and spore-producing

Why are fungi nonvascular plants? a)They have tubes inside their leaves and stems. b)They have no tubes inside their leaves and stems. c)They grow from spores. d)They grow from seeds.

a)It is nonvascular b)It reproduces by spores c)It reproduces by runners d)It reproduces by seeds What do you know about this plant (based on the picture)?