Different Kinds of Plants

There are many different kinds of plants. These can be found in almost every type of habitat and come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Plants are an important source of nutrition for mankind and many of the herbs can be used as medicine. A few examples of different plant types are given below.

Angiosperms

Angiosperms belong to the family of vascular plants. They represent the most advanced condition among terrestrial plants. They have the ability to flower. They have tubes, which carry nutrients and water throughout the body of the plant. This kind of transportation is called the vascular system. The main function of the flower is to protect the plants seeds. Flowers form a part of the reproductive elements of angiosperms. The stamen produces the pollen, which is used to fertilize the egg in the carpel to produce more seeds.

Angiosperms can have one of two types of seeds, dicots or monocots. Dicots possess flowers with four or five petals and complex leaves with veins. Dicots include sunflowers, catiapple trees, cherry trees and roses. Monocots have a single package of food. Their leaves are made of long strands, and petals in groups of three. Monocots include corn, lilies grass and palm trees. Monocots that are grown in large quantities to feed people and animals are pumpkins, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers. The grass family of monocots includes wheat, barley, rye, sorghum, oats, millet and sugar.

Annual, Perennial and Biennial plants

Annual plants have a one-year life cycle while biennial plants have a two-year life cycle. Annual plants are divided into two categories – winter annuals and summer annuals. A plant can behave as an annual or a perennial according to local climatic and geographic growing conditions. Annual plants that naturally complete their life cycle in less than a year are called true annuals. Examples of true annuals are watermelon, pea and lettuce. Examples of biennials are parsley, carrot and celery. Perennial plant’s life cycle is more than two years. Sweet potato and tomato are examples of perennials.

Epiphytic Plants

They depend on other plants for support growing on trunks and branches. They are also dubbed ‘air plants’. Mosses and orchids are instances of epiphytic plants. Though they are not parasitic, they can be deleterious to their hosts. They have an advantage over plants growing on the ground as they have a relatively better access to sunlight. They obtain nutrients from the air or water around them. They use photosynthesis for the process of nutrition.

Pitcher Plants

They are carnivorous plants. Pitcher plant is also called a meat eater. They normally grow in marshlands, bogs and areas of waterlogged, acidic and nitrogen poor soil. They get their nitrogen intake by eating insects. They usually bear a single, large and nodding flower. The insect traps of a pitcher plant can be quite large and attractive. The inside of the tubular shaped leaf is lined with downward pointing hairs, which block an insect from climbing up the tube and escaping. The fluid in the bottom of the tube contains digestive juices that will ingest the insect prey. They will also consume small frogs and occasionally mice and small birds. They can also absorb nutrients through their root systems.

Desert Plants

These plants are adapted to the arid and hostile environment of a desert. These plants have the capability to store water. They also have the ability to use water efficiently. They usually have few or no leaves, which greatly reduces transpiration. Desert perennial species survive by being dormant during dry periods of the year. They spring to life when water becomes available. Plant species like cacti and succulents, have dense flesh which is capable of storing large amounts of water. Several plants have developed the typical spikes and spines to prevent them from being eaten by animals.