Class Notes

Class: XI Topic: PLANT KINGDOM

Subject: Biology

Plant Kingdom
Kingdom Plantae includes
green, brown and red
algae, liwerworts,
mosses, ferns and seed
plants with or without
flowers. They have the
following characters:-
(1) Multicellular
organisms with walled and
frequently vacuolate
eukaryotic cells.
(2) They contain photosynthetic pigment in
plastids.
(3) Principle mode of nutrition is
photosynthesis but number of plants has become
absorptive.
(4) Primarily non-motile, living anchored to a
substrate.
(5) Structural differentiation leading towards
organs of photosynthesis, anchorage and support
and in higher forms towards specialized
photosynthetic, vascular and covering tissues.
(6) Reproduction is primarily asexual or sexual.
The reproductive organs are multicellular.
(7) A multicellular embryo is formed during
development from the zygote. Algae lack embryo
stage. Life cycle consists of alternating
haploid gametophyte and diploid sporophyte
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generation. This phenomenon is called
alternation of
generation.

Thallophyta
Algae
(1) The branch of botany dealing with the study
of algae is called as phycology or algology.
(2) It is derived from the Greek word Phykos
which means 'alga' or 'sea weed'.
(3) They are simple, autotrophic non-vascular
plants having unicelled sex organs and no embryo
formation.
(4) According to Fritsch, (1935) the designation
alga must include all holophytic organisms.
(5) Specialized habitats
(a) Cryophytes: Plants growing on snow or ice
are called as cryophytes.
(b) Thermophytes: Plants growing in hot water
are called as thermophytes
(c) Epiphytes: Several algal forms grow on other
plants (algae, angiosperms) as epiphytes. e.g.,
Oedogonium, Cladophora, Vaucheria etc.
(d) Endophytes: Some blue-green algae grows as
endophytes inside other plants e.g., Anabaena
growing inside the leaf of Azolla (fern)
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(e) Epizoic: Algae growing on the bodies of
animals are described as epizoic. e.g.,
Cladophora crispata grows on snail shell.
(f) Endozoic: Algae growing inside the body of
animals. e.g., Chlorella grows with in the
tissue of Hydra.
(g) Symbiotic forms: Some algae like Chlorella,
Nostoc etc. growing in symbiotic relationship
with members of Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes
(Fungi) constitute the lichen.
(6) Parasites: The alga Cephaleuros virescens
grows a parasite on the tea leaves.
(7) Thallus organization: The algae show a
considerable variation in the organization of
the thallus.
(i) Unicellular forms: Several members of algae
are unicelled. They may be motile
(Chlamydomonas) or non-motile (diatoms).
(ii) Multicellular forms: The multicelled algae
show a considerable range in their organization.
(a) Colonial: A colony consists of independent
organisms. While the colony of Volvox is motile,
that of Hydrodictyon is fixed.
(b) Planeloid: Here the vegetative cells of the
alga get surrounded by a mucilagenous matrix
e.g., Tetraspora.
(c) Dendroid: Here the colony appears like a
microscopic tree. There is secretion of mucilage
from the polar end e.g., Ecballocystis.
(d) Filamentous: The filaments may be
uniseriate or multiseriate, free floating or
attached, unbranched (Ulothrix) or branched
(Cladophora).
(e) Siphonous: An aseptate, multinucleate
(coenocytic) condition of a filament or thallus
constitutes the siphonous habit e.g., Vaucheria.
(f) Parenchymatous: Parenchymatous organization
of the thallus has been observed in many members

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of brown algae (Sargassum, Laminaria), red algae
(Gracillaria, Porphyra) and a few green algae
(Chara, Ulva) etc.
(8) Classification: Linnaeus (1754)
differentiated a group of plant and called as
'algae' where he included lichens and liverworts
also. Fritsch (1935) classified algae into 11
classes as under :
(i) Chlorophyceae (Green algae)
(ii) Xanthophyceae (Yellow-green algae)
(iii) Chrysophyceae
(iv) Bacillariophyceae (Diatoms)
(v) Cryptophyceae
(vi) Dinophyceae (Dinoflagellates)
(vii) Chloromonadineae
(viii) Euglenineae (Euglenoids)
(ix) Phaeophyceae (Brown algae)
(x) Rhodophyceae (Red algae)
(xi) Myxophyceae or Cyanophyceae (Blue green
algae)
Salient features of some selected classes
(i)
Chlorophyceae

(a) Plants fresh water or marine.

(b) Forms unicelled to

parenchymatous.
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(c) Cells showing eukaryotic organization.
(d) Chief pigments – Chlorophyll a, b; a, b, g–
carotenes, lycopene, lutein, violaxanthin.
(e) Reserve food – Starch and oils.
(f) Zoospore formation occurs.
(g) Male gametes flagellate.
(h) Flagella identical.
(i) Sexual reproduction – Isogamous,
anisogamous or oogamous.
(ii) Xanthophyceae

(a) Plants generally fresh

water.
(b) Forms unicelled to siphonous.
(c) Cells showing eukaryotic organization.
(d) Chief pigments – Chlorophyll a,e and beta–
carotene, violaxanthin, neoxanthin.
(e) Reserve food – Chrysolaminarin and oils.
(f) Zoospore formation occurs.
(g) Male gametes flagellate.
(h) Flagella non-identical (unequal).

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(i) Sexual reproduction – Isogamous,
anisogamous or oogamous.
(iii) Phaeophyceae

(a) Plants marine

(b) Forms unicelled to parenchymatous
(c) Cells showing eukaryotic organization
(d) Chief pigments – Chlorophyll a, c; beta–
carotene, fucoxanthin, lutein, violaxanthin,
diatoxanthin.
(e) Reserve food – Laminarin, mannitol and oils.
(f) Zoospore formation occurs.
(g) Male gametes flagellate.
(h) Flagella unequal.
(i) Sexual reproduction – Isogamous ,
anisogamous or oogamous.
Note: The above content has been absolutely prepared from home.
Note: The above content has been absolutely prepared from home.