Kingdom Plantae and Thallophyta
This is the detailed stage of the plant classification of Std 9–10 (algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes, naked- and covered-seed plants).
A green film on a damp wall in the rains and flowering shrubs in a garden are both plants, yet one group has no root, stem or leaf and the other has flowers and seeds.
Phanerogamae are seed plants with visible reproductive parts; Cryptogamae reproduce by spores, no flowers or seeds (concealed sex organs). Thallophyta (algae) have a thalloid body not differentiated into root, stem and leaves.
In the figure : Chart: Cryptogamae → Thallophyta, Bryophyta, Pteridophyta; Phanerogamae → Gymnospermae, Angiospermae.
Rule 1 : Classification of the plant kingdom — Basis: seeds, vascular tissue, body differentiation. Cryptogamae: Thallophyta, Bryophyta (non-vascular), Pteridophyta (vascular). Phanerogamae: Gymnospermae, Angiospermae.
- Easy : Phaneros = visible; kryptos = hidden.
- Medium : Which cryptogams are vascular? Pteridophyta.
- Exam-type (CET) : Why is a fern vascular but not a phanerogam? It produces no seeds.
Rule 2 : Features of Thallophyta — Mostly aquatic (fresh/marine); thalloid body; unicellular (Chlorella, Chlamydomonas) to filamentous (Spirogyra, Chara); Sargassum over 60 m. Starch reserve; pyrenoids on chloroplast; vegetative, asexual and sexual reproduction. Pigments decide the classes.
- Easy : Chlorella is protein-rich and used as food by space travellers.
- Medium : Chlamydomonas is microscopic and Sargassum huge, both algae: thalloid body, chloroplast, aquatic.
- Exam-type (CET) : Algae show alternation of generations: dominant haploid, reduced diploid phase.
Cryptogamae = spores; Phanerogamae = seeds. Thallophyta lack root, stem and leaf.
‘Fern is a phanerogam’ is wrong. Trap: ‘Bryophytes have vascular tissue’ is wrong.
Memory clue : "T-B-P: Thallo → Bryo → Pterido (simple → complex)".
Spot the difference
| Group | Body | Vascular tissue |
|---|---|---|
| Thallophyta | Thallus | Absent |
| Bryophyta | Thalloid/leafy, rhizoids | Absent |
| Pteridophyta | Root, stem, leaf | Present |
Practice questions
- 1What does cryptogamae mean?
- 2Two groups of phanerogamae?
- 3What is the body of Thallophyta like?
- 4Give one example each of unicellular, filamentous and large algae.
- 5Why are Chlamydomonas and Sargassum in one group?
- 6Why is fern not a phanerogam?
- 7Where is a pyrenoid and what does it do?
- 8Name non-vascular and vascular cryptogams.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Plants with hidden sex organs and no seeds.
- 2Gymnospermae, Angiospermae.
- 3Thalloid; not differentiated into root, stem, leaf.
- 4Chlorella; Spirogyra; Sargassum.
- 5Both have a thallus, chloroplast and aquatic life; both are algae.
- 6It has no seeds or flowers; reproduces by spores.
- 7On the chloroplast; stores starch.
- 8Non-vascular: Thallophyta, Bryophyta; vascular: Pteridophyta.
Green and brown algae
The green scum on a pond is green algae; the long dark-brown ribbons washed ashore at the beach are brown algae (kelp).
Chlorophyceae: mostly fresh water, chloroplast with Chl a, b, true starch, cellulose wall. Phaeophyceae: mostly marine, Chl a, c and fucoxanthin, reserve mannitol and laminarin, body of holdfast-stipe-frond.
In the figure : From left: Chlamydomonas (unicellular), Spirogyra (filamentous), Laminaria (holdfast, stipe, frond).
Rule 1 : Chlorophyceae (green algae) — Body unicellular, colonial or filamentous; chloroplast shapes: discoid, cup, reticulate, ribbon, spiral. Examples: Chlamydomonas, Spirogyra, Chara, Volvox, Ulothrix.
- Easy : Spirogyra has a spiral ribbon-shaped chloroplast.
- Medium : Chlamydomonas has a cup-shaped chloroplast + pyrenoid and two flagella.
- Exam-type (CET) : Chara shows oogonium (eggs) and antheridium (sperms) as sex organs.
Rule 2 : Phaeophyceae (brown algae) — Body: holdfast (anchor), stipe (stalk), frond (leaf-like photosynthetic part). Wall: cellulose + fucans + algin. Examples: Laminaria, Sargassum, Fucus, Ectocarpus. Used as food and for hydrocolloids; kelps can reach 100 m.
- Easy : Frond photosynthesises; holdfast grips the rock.
- Medium : Fucoxanthin gives the brown colour.
- Exam-type (CET) : Brown algae store mannitol and laminarin (not true starch).
Green = Chl a,b + starch; brown = Chl a,c + fucoxanthin + mannitol/laminarin.
Brown algae are mostly marine, not fresh water. Trap: ‘Chlorophyceae have Chl d’ is wrong.
Memory clue : "Green = true Starch; Brown = Mannitol + laminarin".
Spot the difference
| Point | Chlorophyceae | Phaeophyceae |
|---|---|---|
| Pigments | Chl a, b | Chl a, c, fucoxanthin |
| Reserve food | True starch | Mannitol, laminarin |
| Example | Spirogyra, Chara | Laminaria, Fucus |
Practice questions
- 1Pigments of green algae?
- 2Body parts of brown algae?
- 3Chloroplast shape in Spirogyra?
- 4Cell wall of Phaeophyceae?
- 5Two examples of brown algae and one use.
- 6Two differences between green and brown algae.
- 7Why is a holdfast needed?
- 8Which sex organs are seen in Chara?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Chlorophyll a and b.
- 2Holdfast, stipe, frond.
- 3Spiral, ribbon-like.
- 4Cellulose, fucans, algin.
- 5Laminaria, Sargassum; food/hydrocolloids.
- 6Pigments (a,b vs a,c + fucoxanthin); reserve food (starch vs mannitol/laminarin).
- 7To anchor the alga to rock against waves in the sea.
- 8Oogonium and antheridium.
Red algae and comparison of algal classes
Agar-agar used in jellies and as a tissue-culture medium comes from red algae.
Rhodophyceae: marine and fresh water; Chl a, d and phycoerythrin; Floridean starch; wall of cellulose + pectin; thalloid body.
In the figure : Differences among the three algal classes: colour, pigments, reserve food, wall, habitat.
Rule 1 : Features of Rhodophyceae — Red colour due to phycoerythrin; occur even in deep sea. Examples: Chondrus, Batrachospermum, Porphyra, Gelidium, Gracilaria, Polysiphonia. Agar-agar comes from Gelidium and Gracilaria.
- Easy : Red alga gets its colour from? Phycoerythrin.
- Medium : Solidifying agent in tissue-culture medium: agar-agar.
- Exam-type (CET) : Floridean starch is found in which algae? Red.
Rule 2 : Comparing the three classes — Accessory pigments of algae: xanthophyll, fucoxanthin, phycoerythrin, phycobilin. Classes are separated by pigments, then by reserve food and wall.
- Easy : Cellulose + pectin = red; cellulose + algin = brown; cellulose = green.
- Medium : Chl d occurs in which algae? Red (Rhodophyceae).
- Exam-type (CET) : ‘Laminarin’ is reserve food of which algae? Brown.
Red = Chl a,d + phycoerythrin; agar-agar; Floridean starch.
Do not mix colour and pigment. Trap: ‘fucoxanthin = red alga’ is wrong (brown).
Memory clue : "R = Red + eRythrin (phycoerythrin)".
Spot the difference
| Class | Pigments | Reserve food | Wall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyceae | Chl a, b | Starch | Cellulose |
| Phaeophyceae | Chl a, c, fucoxanthin | Mannitol, laminarin | Cellulose, algin |
| Rhodophyceae | Chl a, d, phycoerythrin | Floridean starch | Cellulose, pectin |
Practice questions
- 1Agar-agar comes from which algae?
- 2Pigment of red algae?
- 3In which algae is Floridean starch?
- 4Name the three algal classes.
- 5Two examples of red algae.
- 6Wall difference between brown and red algae?
- 7Complete: reserve food and wall of Chlorophyceae.
- 8Two economic importances of algae.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Red algae (Gelidium, Gracilaria).
- 2Phycoerythrin (with Chl a, d).
- 3Rhodophyceae.
- 4Chlorophyceae, Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyceae.
- 5Porphyra, Gelidium (any).
- 6Brown: cellulose + algin; red: cellulose + pectin.
- 7Starch; cellulose.
- 8Food (Chlorella, kelp); agar-agar; hydrocolloids.
Bryophyta
A velvety green layer appears on rocks and bricks in the rains; mosses bind soil and help make soil from rock.
Bryophyta (bryon = moss) are mostly terrestrial but need water for fertilisation – the ‘amphibians of the plant kingdom’; thalloid or leafy body; root-like rhizoids; no vascular tissue.
In the figure : Funaria: rhizoids at the base, leaf-like phylloids and main axis, seta and capsule (sporophyte) on top.
Rule 1 : Two groups of bryophytes — Liverworts (Hepaticeae): flat thallus, unicellular rhizoids; e.g. Riccia, Marchantia; hornworts (Anthoceros). Mosses (Musci): erect body, multicellular rhizoids; gametophyte = protonema + leafy stage; e.g. Funaria, Polytrichum, Sphagnum.
- Easy : Riccia and Marchantia = liverworts; Funaria = moss.
- Medium : Rhizoids unicellular or multicellular? Liverworts: unicellular; mosses: multicellular.
- Exam-type (CET) : Protonema is the juvenile gametophyte; buds on it make the leafy stage.
Rule 2 : Life cycle and economic importance — Gametophyte (n) is dominant, photosynthetic, independent; sporophyte (2n) is short-lived, partly/wholly dependent on it. Uses: Sphagnum gives peat (fuel), moss as water-holding packing, soil binding, rock decomposition.
- Easy : The Funaria capsule makes spores = sporophyte.
- Medium : Sphagnum = peat; packing for live material.
- Exam-type (CET) : ‘Why called amphibians?’ They need water for fertilisation.
Bryophyta: gametophyte dominant; sporophyte dependent; no vascular tissue; about 960 genera, 25,000 species.
‘Dominant sporophyte’ belongs to Pteridophyta, not Bryophyta. Trap: calling rhizoids ‘true roots’ is wrong.
Memory clue : "Bryo = Boss gametophyte (Gametophyte is the Boss)".
Spot the difference
| Point | Liverworts | Mosses |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Flat thallus | Erect, leafy |
| Rhizoids | Unicellular | Multicellular |
| Example | Riccia, Marchantia | Funaria, Sphagnum |
Practice questions
- 1Why are bryophytes ‘amphibians of plants’?
- 2Function of rhizoids?
- 3Name one liverwort and one moss.
- 4What is protonema?
- 5Which phase dominates in bryophytes?
- 6Two uses of Sphagnum.
- 7How do mosses prevent soil erosion?
- 8A capsule belongs to which generation?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1They are terrestrial but need water for fertilisation.
- 2Absorb water and minerals; anchor the thallus.
- 3Marchantia; Funaria.
- 4The filamentous, branched juvenile gametophyte of moss.
- 5Gametophyte (n).
- 6Peat (fuel); packing material.
- 7Dense mats bind the soil.
- 8Sporophyte (2n).
Pteridophyta
A garden fern has no flowers or fruits but brown dots under its leaves – clusters of spores.
Pteridophyta (pteron = feather) are the first vascular land plants with true roots, stem and leaves, the only vascular cryptogams. The sporophyte (2n) is dominant.
In the figure : Nephrolepis (fern): rhizome, adventitious roots, pinnate leaves and sori.
Rule 1 : Structure — Primary root short-lived, replaced by adventitious roots. Leaves small microphylls (Selaginella) or large macrophylls (Nephrolepis). Xylem has only tracheids and phloem only sieve cells; no cambium, hence no secondary growth.
- Easy : Fern leaves: pinnate macrophylls.
- Medium : Why doesn't a pteridophyte thicken? It has no cambium.
- Exam-type (CET) : Equisetum has scale leaves; Lycopodium has simple sessile leaves.
Rule 2 : Classes and examples — Psilopsida (Psilotum), Lycopsida (Selaginella, Lycopodium), Sphenopsida (Equisetum), Pteropsida (Dryopteris, Pteris, Adiantum). Habitats: Azolla, Marsilea aquatic; Equisetum xerophytic; Lycopodium epiphytic. Uses: medicine, soil binders, ornamentals.
- Easy : Aquatic pteridophyte: Azolla or Marsilea.
- Medium : Xerophytic pteridophyte: Equisetum.
- Exam-type (CET) : Late Paleozoic = Age of Pteridophytes.
Pteridophyta = true root, stem, leaf; vascular; no seeds; about 400 genera, 11,000 species.
‘Pteridophytes show secondary growth’ is wrong. Trap: ‘xylem has vessels’ is wrong (only tracheids).
Memory clue : "Pterido = Pinnate = feather-like".
Spot the difference
| Point | Bryophyta | Pteridophyta |
|---|---|---|
| Dominant phase | Gametophyte | Sporophyte |
| Vascular tissue | Absent | Present |
| True roots | No (rhizoids) | Present |
Practice questions
- 1What does pteron mean?
- 2Dominant phase of pteridophytes?
- 3An example of a fern.
- 4One example each of microphyll and macrophyll.
- 5Why no secondary growth in pteridophytes?
- 6One example from each of four classes.
- 7Why are pteridophytes called vascular cryptogams?
- 8Two differences between Bryophyta and Pteridophyta.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Feather.
- 2Sporophyte (2n).
- 3Nephrolepis / Adiantum.
- 4Selaginella; Nephrolepis.
- 5Cambium is absent.
- 6Psilotum, Selaginella, Equisetum, Pteris.
- 7No seeds but have vascular tissue.
- 8Dominant phase: gametophyte vs sporophyte; vascular tissue: absent vs present.
Gymnospermae and Angiospermae
A pine cone and a mango fruit: in one the seed is exposed, in the other it is inside the fruit – the main difference between these groups.
Gymnospermae (gymnos = naked) have naked seeds, mostly evergreen trees/shrubs. Angiospermae (angios = vessel) are the most advanced flowering plants; seeds are enclosed within the fruit (ovary). Two classes: Dicotyledonae and Monocotyledonae.
In the figure : Top: gymnosperm cone and angiosperm fruit; below: main differences of dicot and monocot.
Rule 1 : Gymnospermae — About 70 genera, 1000 species (India 16 genera, 53 species). Sporophyte; tap roots; Cycas coralloid roots with blue-green algae, Pinus roots with mycorrhizae. Dimorphic leaves: green foliage and brown scale leaves. Tracheids and sieve cells; cambium gives secondary growth. E.g. Cycas, Pinus, Ginkgo.
- Easy : Ginkgo biloba = living fossil.
- Medium : Tallest gymnosperm: Sequoia sempervirens (about 366 ft); smallest: Zamia pygmaea (about 25 cm).
- Exam-type (CET) : Cycas coralloid roots live with? Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria).
Rule 2 : Angiosperms: dicot and monocot — Sporophyte dominant; gametophyte small and hidden. Stamens (microsporophylls) and carpels (megasporophylls) + calyx, corolla = flower. Dicot: 2 cotyledons, tap root, reticulate veins, 4–5-merous flowers, open bundles, cambium → secondary growth (sunflower, China rose). Monocot: 1 cotyledon, adventitious roots, parallel veins, trimerous flowers, closed bundles, no secondary growth (maize, jowar).
- Easy : Grass leaf with parallel veins = monocot.
- Medium : Why doesn't maize girth increase? No cambium.
- Exam-type (CET) : Smallest angiosperm: Wolffia (1 mm); Eucalyptus over 100 m.
Gymnosperm = naked seed; angiosperm = seed in fruit. Monocot = 1 cotyledon; dicot = 2.
‘Gymnosperms bear fruits’ is wrong. Trap: the angiosperm hallmark is double fertilisation; vessels in wood is also an angiosperm feature.
Memory clue : "Dicot = Duo cotyledons + Deep tap root; Monocot = Mop-like fibrous roots".
Spot the difference
| Point | Dicot | Monocot |
|---|---|---|
| Cotyledon | 2 | 1 |
| Root | Tap | Adventitious |
| Leaf venation | Reticulate | Parallel |
| Secondary growth | Present | Absent |
Practice questions
- 1What does gymnos mean?
- 2An example of a gymnosperm.
- 3Where are seeds in angiosperms?
- 4Tallest gymnosperm?
- 5Which is a ‘living fossil’?
- 6Three differences between dicot and monocot.
- 7Symbiosis in roots of Cycas and Pinus?
- 8Why do dicots show secondary growth but monocots do not?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Naked.
- 2Cycas / Pinus.
- 3Inside the fruit (ovary).
- 4Sequoia sempervirens.
- 5Ginkgo biloba.
- 6Cotyledons 2/1; root tap/adventitious; veins reticulate/parallel.
- 7Cycas: blue-green algae; Pinus: mycorrhizae.
- 8Dicots have cambium between xylem and phloem; monocots do not.
Alternation of generations and life-cycle patterns
Grandparents, parents, us – generations change; in plants two different kinds of generation (n and 2n) alternate.
Alternation of generations: the diploid (2n) sporophyte forms haploid (n) spores by meiosis → they grow into gametophytes → gametes fuse → 2n zygote → sporophyte.
In the figure : Three life-cycle types: haplontic, diplontic and haplo-diplontic; n = haploid, 2n = diploid.
Rule 1 : Alternation of generations — Sporophyte (2n) → meiosis → spores (n) → mitosis → gametophyte (n) → gametes (n) → fertilisation → zygote (2n) → mitosis → sporophyte. Distinct alternation in bryophytes and pteridophytes; in gymnosperms and angiosperms the gametophyte is reduced and inside the sporophyte.
- Easy : Spores are formed by which division? Meiosis.
- Medium : Dominant: gametophyte in Bryophyta; sporophyte in Pteridophyta.
- Exam-type (CET) : Gametes (n) form by mitosis in the gametophyte.
Rule 2 : Three life-cycle types — Haplontic: only the zygote is 2n and it undergoes meiosis; e.g. some algae, fungi. Diplontic: dominant 2n organism, gametes by meiosis; e.g. animals. Haplo-diplontic: both multicellular n and 2n phases, mitosis in both; e.g. land plants, many algae.
- Easy : Only zygote 2n = haplontic.
- Medium : Human life cycle = diplontic.
- Exam-type (CET) : A fern's life cycle = haplo-diplontic.
2n = sporophyte; n = gametophyte; meiosis gives spores; fertilisation gives zygote.
‘Gametes by meiosis’ is right for animals (diplontic); in plants gametes form by mitosis in the gametophyte. Trap: assuming sporophyte is dominant in all plants – wrong (Bryophyta).
Memory clue : "Haplo = Half (n) body; Diplo = Double (2n) body; both = Haplo-diplo".
Spot the difference
| Type | Dominant phase | Only 2n / both? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haplontic | n organism | Zygote only 2n | Some algae, fungi |
| Diplontic | 2n organism | Only gametes n | Animals |
| Haplo-diplontic | Both | Both multicellular | Bryo/Pterido |
Practice questions
- 1Chromosome number in sporophyte and gametophyte?
- 2Which division forms spores?
- 3Dominant generation in bryophytes?
- 4Which is the only 2n cell in a haplontic cycle?
- 5An example of diplontic.
- 6What is the gametophyte like in angiosperms?
- 7Dominant generation of pteridophytes and its feature.
- 8Distinguish the three life cycles.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Sporophyte = 2n; gametophyte = n.
- 2Meiosis.
- 3Gametophyte.
- 4Zygote.
- 5Animals (human).
- 6Highly reduced, haploid, concealed in the sporophyte.
- 7Sporophyte; independent, vascular, with root, stem, leaves.
- 8Haplontic: organism n; diplontic: organism 2n; haplo-diplontic: both n and 2n multicellular phases.
Quick revision of the whole lesson
| Concept | Key fact |
|---|---|
| Classification | Cryptogamae (Thallo-, Bryo-, Pteridophyta) / Phanerogamae (Gymno-, Angiospermae) |
| Green algae | Chl a,b; starch; cellulose |
| Brown algae | Chl a,c + fucoxanthin; mannitol; holdfast-stipe-frond |
| Red algae | Chl a,d + phycoerythrin; Floridean starch; agar-agar |
| Bryophyta | Gametophyte dominant; rhizoids; Funaria |
| Pteridophyta | Sporophyte dominant; vascular; no secondary growth |
| Gymno / Angio | Naked seed / seed in fruit; dicot 2, monocot 1 cotyledon |
| Life cycles | Haplontic, diplontic, haplo-diplontic |
🎯 Most important points for the exam
- Cryptogamae and phanerogamae and their subgroups.
- Comparison of the three algal classes (pigments, reserve food, wall).
- Bryophyta vs Pteridophyta: dominant phase, vascular tissue.
- Gymnosperm vs angiosperm, and dicot vs monocot.
- Alternation of generations and the three life cycles.
- Numbers: Bryophyta 960/25,000; Pteridophyta 400/11,000; gymnosperms 70/1000.
Understand the concept → draw the figure → memorise the key points → solve questions yourself.