CLASSIFICATION OF NON-FLOWERING PLANTS

There are 11 main phyla of non-flowering plants:

Liverworts

Mosses

Hornworts

Whisk ferns

Club mosses

Horsetails

Ferns

Conifers

Cycads

Ginkgo

Gnetophytes.

The last four form a group called gymnosperms—they produce seeds instead of spores.

SPORES

Non-flowering plants reproduce by releasing large numbers of tiny spores. These minute organisms consist of one or a few cells inside a tough coat.

WHY IS SPORE DISPERSAL IMPORTANT?

Many non-flowering plants rely on wind to carry their reproductive spores as far away as possible. This reduces competition with the parent plant for light, water, and important nutrients. If a spore lands in a damp place, it germinates (sprouts) and grows into a new plant.

CONIFERS

Trees and shrubs whose seeds develop in woody cones are called conifers. The 550 species include pines, firs, and cedars. Conifers form dense forests in colder, northern regions. Most keep their leaves all year long.

HOW DO CONIFERS PRODUCE SEEDS?

Conifers have male and female cones. The male cones release pollen grains (male sex cells), which are blown by the wind. If pollen lands on the female cones, it fertilizes the female egg cells. The fertilized eggs develop into seeds. After one or two years, when the seeds have matured, the female cone opens up. It drops winged seeds, which germinate wherever they land.