Plants are the cornerstone of life on earth. They convert light energy from the sun to make chemicals. These molecules in turn are used as food, materials or even medicines by animals. This site looks at the major groups of plants on our planet, their features and how they relate to each other, taking an evolutionary perspective. It was developed as a resource for first year university students taking an introductory course on the Plant Kingdom.
We will explore each of these topics below and suggest you look at each in the order shown:
- What is a plant?
- Green algae – the first plants
- Plants invade the land
- Bryophytes – tiny moisture-lovers
- Pteridophytes – ferns and fern allies
- Trees that gave us fossil fuels
- Seeds appear
- Gymnosperms – first seed plants
- Angiosperms – plants with flowers
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