Does everyone know which plants are called higher? This species has its own characteristics. To date, higher plants include:
- The crowns.
- Mosses
- Ferns.
- Horsetail.
- Gymnosperms.
- Angiosperms.
There are more than 285 species of such plants. They stand out by a much higher organization. Their bodies contain shoots and root (except for mosses).
Characteristics
Higher plants live on earth. This place of residence is different from the aquatic environment.
Characterization of higher plants:
- The body is made up of tissues and organs.
- With the help of vegetative organs, nutrition and metabolic functions are carried out.
- Gymnosperms and angiosperms propagate by seed.
Most of the higher plants have roots, stems and leaves. Their organs are complexly built. This species has cells (tracheids), vessels, sieve tubes, and their integumentary tissues form a complex system.
The main feature of higher plants is the alternation of generations. They pass from the haploid phase to the diploid phase, and vice versa.
The origin of higher plants
All signs of higher plants indicate that they may have come from algae. Extinct representatives of the higher group are very similar to algae. They have a similar generational sequence and many other characteristics.
There is a theory that higher plants appeared from green algae or freshwater. The first rhinophytes appeared. When the plants went on land, they began to develop rapidly. Mosses were not so viable as they needed water in the form of drops in order for them to exist. Because of this, they appear in places where there is high humidity.
To date, plants have spread throughout the planet. They can be seen in the desert, tropics and in cold areas. They form forests, swamps, meadows.
Despite the fact that when thinking which plants are called higher, thousands of options can be called, but still they can be combined into some gupps.
Mosses
When ascertaining which plants are called higher, one should not forget about mosses. About 10,000 of their species are distinguished in nature. Outwardly, it is a small plant, its length does not exceed 5 cm.
Mosses do not bloom, they do not have a root, a conducting system. Reproduction occurs through spores. Haploid gametophyte prevails in the life cycle of mosses. This plant, which has been living for several years, may have outgrowths similar to roots. But the sporophyte of mosses does not live long, it dries up, has only a leg, a box where the spore ripens. The structure of these representatives of wildlife is simple, they do not know how to take root.
Mosses play such a role in nature:
- Create a special biocenosis.
- The moss cover absorbs radioactive substances, holds them.
- Regulate the water balance of landscapes due to the fact that they absorb water.
- Protect the soil from erosion, which allows you to evenly transfer the flow of water.
- Some types of mosses are used for medicines.
- Sphagnum mosses produce peat.
Floating plants
In addition to mosses, there are other higher plants. Examples may be different, but they are all somewhat similar to each other. For example, mosses resemble flowering plants, but their evolution is more advanced, since these are vascular species. They consist of stems that covered small leaves. They have roots and vascular tissue through which nutrition occurs. The presence of these constituents, the crowns are very similar to ferns.
In the tropics, epiphytic mosses are distinguished. They hang from the trees, creating a kind of fringe. Such plants have the same spores.
Some lice plants are listed in the Red Book.
Psilotoid plants
This species of plants lives for more than one year. These include 2 genera of representatives of the tropics. They have erect stems similar to rhizome. But they have no real roots. The conductive system is located in the stem, consists of a phloem, xylem. But water does not enter leaf-shaped appendages of plants.
Photosynthesis occurs in the stems, spores are formed on the branches, turning into cylindrical branches.
Fern-shaped
What plants are called higher yet? These include ferns entering the vascular department. They are grassy and woody.
The body of the fern includes:
- Petiole.
- Leaf plates.
- Roots and shoots.
Fern leaves were called vayas. The stalk is usually short; conductive tissue is developed in it . Wayne grows from the kidneys of the rhizome. They reach large sizes, perform spore formation, photosynthesis.
In the life cycle, sporophyte and gametophyte alternate. There are some theories that suggest that ferns evolved from plunders. Although there are scientists who believe that many higher plants appeared from psilophytes.
Many species of fern are animal food, and some are poisonous. Despite this, similar plants are used in medicine.
Horsetail
Horsetail plants also belong to higher plants. They consist of segments and nodes, which distinguishes them from other plants of the highest species. Horsetail representatives resemble some coniferous, flowering plants and algae.
This is a kind of representative of wildlife. They have vegetative signs similar to cereals. The length of the stems can be several centimeters, and sometimes grows to several meters.
Gymnosperms
Gymnosperms are also isolated from higher plants. Today there are few of their species. Despite this, various scientists argued that angiosperms evolved from gymnosperms. The various found remains of plants testify to this. DNA studies were conducted, after which some scientists developed theories that this species belongs to the monophyletic group. They are still divided into many classes and departments.
Angiosperms
These plants are also called flowering. They belong to the highest form. They differ from other representatives by the presence of a flower, which serves for reproduction. They have a feature - double fertilization.
The flower attracts pollination agents. The walls of the ovary grow, change, turn into a fetus. This occurs if fertilization has occurred.
So there are different higher plants. Examples of them can be listed for a long time, but all of them have been disbanded into certain groups.