Diversity: Classification
Diversity: Classification
Diversity: Classification
CLASSIFICATION
III. Diversity of Angiosperms on The Basis of the Nature of Stem:
1. Ephemerals: Life span within a very short period before the approach of actual dry
conditions. Often called as drought evaders or drought escapers, e.g., Argemon
mexicana, Solanum xanthocarpum, Cassia tora etc.
2. Annuals: They complete their life-cycle within one year and die after producing
seeds, e.g., wheat, rice, gram.
3. Biennials (or Biannuals); Life-cycle in two years. During first year they show
only vegetative growth, and during second year they develop flowers, fruits and seeds.
These plants are usually herbs, e.g., Radish, Turnip, and Carrot.
4. Perennials: Have long life, and continue to live for many years. The great banyan
tree (Ficus bengalensis) in the Botanical Garden, Kolkata is more than 200 years old. The
Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) at Gaya is about 2500 years old.Most perennials, after
attaining maturity, bear flowers and fruits in a particular season of each year. They are
called polycarpic, e.g., coconut, mango, Acacia etc. Some perennials (e.g., Bamboos,
Agave) are monocarpic i.e., they bear fruits only once in their life. All annuals and
biennials are monocarpic.
POPPY KANTAKIRI CHAKUNDA WHEAT PADDY(RICE)
MANGO COCONUT
V. Diversity on The Basis of Size:
The smallest angiosperm is a rootless aquatic Wolffia. It has a diameter of 0.1
mm. Aquatic Lemna has a diameter of 0.1 cm. The tallest angiosperm plant it
is Eucalyptus regnans. It is over 100 meter tall. The largest-sized plant is
Banyan tree (Ficus bengalensis). It can spread over an area of 2 – 5 acres with
more than 200 prop roots.
VI. Diversity on The Basis of Nutrition:
1. Autotrophic plants or autotrophs. Most of the plants are autotrophs as they
are green and manufacture their own organic food from inorganic raw
materials (viz. CO2 ,H2O, Chlorophyll & Sunlight).
2. Heterotrophic plants or heterotrophs. These plants obtain a part or whole
of their nourishments from outside sources. Heterotrophs may be parasites,
saprophytes, symbionts and insectivorous.
aquatic Wolffia Aquatic Lemna
Carolus Linnaeus who used binomials for the plants described in his ‘Species
Plantarum’ (1753) and later works.