Plant Kingdom1Ferns have small roots anchored to an underground stem. The leaves grow from small buds at the base of the stem, inside which each leaf is tightly coiled. Each bud take up to three years to develop. When it is fully grown, the bud unrolls and the leaflets rapidly open out.

There are about 12,000 species of fern in the world today, each with different shape leaves. All leave have a stalk, and one or more leaves. Simple leaves have a single blade. Other have leave divided into leaflets that are themselves divided, called bipinnate leave.

7Mosses and liverworts do not have flower or seeds. Instead, they reproduce and spread by producing spores, which are tiny, dust-like particles.

The life cycle of a moss or liverwort plat has two, very different stages. In the first stage, the green, leafy moss plant (gametophyte)grows male and female sex organs, which produce sex cell. The male sex cell swim through water on the surface of the plant and fertilise the female sex cells.

In the second stage, the fertilised cells grow into smaller plants called Saprophytes. These produce capsules containing thousand of spores. The spores are released and spread by the wind or water, and they grow into new, leafy plants.

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5What are plants?Plants are the key to life on Earth. Without them many other living organisms would soon disappear. This is because higher life forms depend on plants, either directly or indirectly, for their food. Most plants such as green plant are able to make their own food by using a sunlight, this process is called photosynthesis.

All plants fall into two categories. Flowering plants, which produce true Flower such Flower, Grasses and Trees on the other there's non-flowering plants primitive plants, such as Mosses, Liverworts, Horsetails and Ferns. GlossarySlide presentation

3 Which of these plants are not a flowering plant? Grasses Flowers Mosses Q115 Grasses Grasses are the worlds most widespread type of flowering plants. There are about 9,000 species, many of which provide essential food for people and animals. Rice, Wheat and Maize provide the basic food for most of the worlds population. They are called cereal crop. Other cereal crops include rye, barley and oats.The Grass plant Grass plants often grow close together to form a turf. New branches grow at ground level. A mass of tangled roots grows into a mat just below the ground. Grasses are wind pollinated. Their flowers produce dusty pollen that causes hay fever in many people.

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Mosses and liverworts Mosses and liverworts are small plant that often grow in clumps. Instead of root, slender growths, called rhizoids, anchor them into the soil. Most mosses and some liverworts have thin leaves, but liverworts usually have flat, rounded leaves. Characteristics of mosses and liverworts Often grow in clumpsGrow in damp places, such as rainforests, freshwater areas, and dog Spread by making sporesAbsorb water and nutrients directly through their leaves have two distinct stages in their life cycle.Use sunlight to their own food through photosynthesisClick next for more information

4 Horsetails Horsetails are upright plants with rigid stems surrounded by rings of branches. About 300 million years ago, huge horsetail trees grew in vast, steaming swamps. Today there are under 30 smaller horsetail species. They are usually found in damp places, near rivers and lakes, or in swamps.Characteristics of HorsetailsGrow in damp places, such as near rivers and lakes, or in swamps Ring of branches surround the stemsWater and nutrients travel from root to stems and branches Leaves are like tiny scales around the stems Have two distinct stage in their life cycleRelated to Club mosses (which are not mosses)

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8 Ferns Ferns are green, non- flowering plant with long narrowing leaves. The leaves of many ferns are lacy and consist of hundreds of tiny leaflets. Ferns vary in size from small plants with leave only a few centimetres long, to tall fern trees with leave up to 6 metres long. The leave covered in a waxy coating to prevent them drying out. Characteristics of Ferns Grow in damp, shady places, (for moisture) such as riverbanks and woodlands.Have green leave that are tightly coiled at firstSpread by making spores, which grow in tiny capsules on the undersides of the leavesWater and nutrients travel up the roots to and through the stems and leavesHave two distinct stages sin their life cycleClick next for more information

6 What the process do all green plants go through when they make their own food from the sunlight? Photographer Photosynthesis Photosypathis Q630

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