Plant Life

The kingdom Plantae encompasses water-dwelling red and green algae as well as terrestrial plants, which have evolved to support themselves outside of the aquatic environment of their ancestors. This SparkNote focuses on the terrestrial plants, which include bryophytes (mosses) as well as the more highly evolved vascular plants, called tracheophytes. As a consequence of their move onto land, terrestrial plants require structures that support their weight, prevent desiccation (drying out), aid in reproduction, and transport …

…the egg cell becomes a seed after fertilization has occurred. In angiosperms (flowering plants), the embryo is given added protection by an ovary, which develops into a fruit. Plants can also reproduce asexually through vegetative propagation, a process in which plants produce genetically identical offshoots (clones) of themselves, which then develop into independent plants. This asexual means of reproduction can occur naturally through specialized structures such as tubers, runners, and bulbs or artificially through grafting.