What are the plants?

Nature is very diverse, there are millions of species of all kinds of organisms living in different corners of the Earth.According to systematics, they are divided into two empires: cellular and acellular.The former includes only the viruses, and the second group, in turn, combines the two domains: prokaryotes (organisms whose cells contain nuclei, namely bacteria and archaea) and eukaryotes (nucleus is present).Familiar animals and flowers, we refer to the second kind.Eukaryotes are divided into five kingdoms: chrome, protists, animals, fungi and plants.It is about the past and will be discussed in this article.

role of plants

Without them it is impossible to imagine life on the planet.Plants perform important functions - photosynthesis, in which oxygen is liberated.It is because of these organisms, the Earth's atmosphere became what we know now - with a high content of oxygen and ozone ball that protects against harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.

They also serve as an important source of organic matter.Plants can be said to "feed" the whole planet, as in any food chain, they are the first link.

Scientific classification

Everyone interested to know what are the plants, so let's start with what we consider their scientific classification.

They are divided into two groups: higher and lower.The latter include algae (four departments: red, brown, blue and blue-green).Higher plants include six divisions: lycopsids, Horsetail, spread Moss family, fern, gymnosperms and angiosperms (flowering plants).Classification of plants is as follows: Front - class - order - family - kind of - kind of.

history of the study of plants

So what are the plants since ancient times many people were interested - both scientists and simply curious personalities.

called the "father of botany" deserves the ancient Greek scientist Theophrastus, who lived in 370-285 years.BC.e.He was one of the first who began researching the topic on which there are plants.He divides them into different groups according to their appearance, the flowering period, and so on. D.

also a large-scale research related to plants, held Roman scholar Dioscorides.He lived in the first century BC.e.He owns the work, which describes the properties of about six hundred medicinal plants.

scientist who created the first classification of all living organisms, was Carl Linnaeus.His life lasted from 1708 to 1778 in his work "System of Nature" present materials about which there are plants.Flowering he systematized by the number of stamens in them.

also an outstanding researcher who dedicated his works the study of plants was Augustin Pyramus de Candolle (1778-1841).His is the work of "Harbinger of the natural system of the vegetable kingdom", which describes about 60 thousand different species.

Also a great contribution to science made Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler (1844-1930), who was involved in the improvement of plant classification.He owns works such as "natural system of plant families," "vegetable kingdom," "program families of flowering plants" that have been created in conjunction with other botanists.They are described in detail which groups of plants are.In addition to the classification, Engler also engaged phytogeography.Known for his work in the industry are "Vegetation of the Earth" in fifteen volumes and "World of plants in East Africa and neighboring regions."

classification of plants according to the structure of their vegetative parts

Earlier on this principle there are three groups: grasses, shrubs and trees.Now the plant can be divided into seven life forms.This grass, succulents (very fleshy stems, which contain large amounts of water, here are cacti, aloe, kalanchoe, agave, etc.), vines, bushes, shrubs, trees.

Other ways of classifying plants

also can be divided into cultural, wild and weeds.First - those plants which are grown by man for specific purposes, they can also be systematized.Renowned researcher NIVavilov wrote about what groups of cultivated plants there.This topic is interesting and many others.Cultivated plants can be divided into thirteen groups.On them will be discussed below.

So which group of cultivated plants there?

Inulinonosnye.Plants which contain polysaccharide called "inulin".This material was used in medicine and used as a sugar substitute for diabetic patients.This group includes dahlia, chicory, Jerusalem artichoke.
Zhirnomaslichnye.These are plants that are used for different oils.These include sunflower, sesame, rapeseed, safflower, and so on. D.
Food: sochnoplodnye, wood tverdoplodnye and lush seed.This group brings together pears, apples, plums, apricots, grapes, currants, hazel, cherry, palm and so on. D.
protein.Plants with high protein content in the fruit.It soybeans, peas, beans, lupins, other legumes.
Krahmalonosnye.This primarily potatoes, corn, oats, wheat, buckwheat, rice, millet, rye, sorghum, yams, sweet potatoes.
fibrous.Plants that are used for the production of filaments.This cotton, hemp, flax, jute.
on sugar.This group includes only a cane and beets.
Vegetable.This tomato, cucumber, squash, eggplant, peppers, cabbage, carrots, radishes, celery, parsley, garlic, onion, eggplant and more.
stimulant and narcotic.This tea, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, poppies and more.
Feed.These include clover, turnips, turnip, rutabaga, alfalfa.
of rubber.This group is ranked Hevea, wormwood, dandelion, milkweed.
Wood engineering and pharmaceuticals.These include eucalyptus, cinchona, bamboo.
Fine.This group includes rubber plants, roses, maples, some species of ferns and palms, also here can be ranked and houseplants.