Classifying Ornamental Plants

Suppose you were walking through the woods and stumbled upon an unusual plant. What would you call it? Would you know how to classify it? Could

you identify its characteristics? These are questions many taxonomists

ponder when labeling a new plant.

Take a couple of minutes and list as many plants as you possibly can. Let’s classify them as deciduous (loose their leaves) or coniferous (remain as evergreens).

Now list as many animals as you can. Can you classify them as birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fish, or mammals?

Why do you know more about animals?

Student Learning Objectives

1. Describe the system used for naming and classifying plants

2. Identify the major groups of plants 3. Describe the differences between

annuals, biennials and perennials 4. Understand how this information is

important to the Horticultural industry

Terms to Know Angiosperm Annuals Biennials Binomial nomenclature Bryophytes Conifer Cotyledons Deciduous Dicots

Evergreen Ferns Genus Gymnosperms Herbaceous Monocots Perennials Species Woody

How Are Plants Named and Classified?

Plants are classified by the similarities of their characteristics.– Taxonomists compare flower patterns,

stem and leaf structures, life cycles, genetic similarities and many other characteristics.

They are then grouped in specific categories, or taxas:

Kingdom Plantae

Phylum (Division) Magnoliophyta

Class Liliopsida

Order Cyperales

Family Poaceae

Genus Triticum

Species aestivum

*Sample classification of bread wheat

Categories/Taxas Example*

Botanists call plants by their last two taxas – genus and species– This system is known as binomial

nomenclature (two-word naming system)– Developed by Carl Linnaeus– Uses Latin for three reasons:

Universal (known by all scientists) Very descriptive Unchanged (contains no slang words)

– Genus is capitalized; Species lower case Ex. Triticum aestivum

Cultivars In the Horticulture

industry, we usually use cultivar names as well. Ex;

Malus domestica ‘Fuji’

Picea pungens ‘Procumbens'

What Are Some Ways That We Can Put Plants Into Groups?

Plants live in a variety of climates and niches

The adaptations that plants have made to survive in different climates allows for them to be classified into one of four major groups:– Bryophytes, Ferns, Gymnosperms and

Angiosperms

Bryophytes Belong to the phylum

Bryophyta Non-vascular plants

– No conducting tissues

Live in damp places Limited in size due to

lack of conducting tissue

Ex. Mosses and liverworts

Liverwort

Moss

Courtesy of Wm. C. Brown Publishers

Ferns Vascular plants Reproduce by

spores Have no true

leaves; 0nly fronds Fronds produce

food and spores New fronds called

fiddleheads

Ferns in the forest

Fiddleheads

Spores on underside of frond

Courtesy of Wm. C. Brown Publishers

Gymnosperms Reproduce with seeds

found in cones Also known as a conifer Leaves reduced to scales or

needles Most are evergreen – hold

on to their green color year round– Ex. Pines, spruce, cedar

Some can be deciduous- lose their leaves– Ex. Ginkgo, larch

Coniferous evergreen – Pinus contorta

Deciduous conifer –

Ginkgo biloba

Courtesy of Wm. C. Brown Publishers

Angiosperms

Plants that reproduce by flowers There are two types: monocotyledons

(monocots) & dicotyledons (dicots) A cotyledon is a food storage structure in

the seed. – Monocots have a single cotyledon

Ex. Grasses, corn and lilies

– Dicots have two cotyledons Ex. Roses, petunias and geraniums, beans

Angiosperms - Monocot Have flower parts

(sepals, petals, stamens,

pistils) in multiples of three– 3, 6, 9…

Parallel venation within the leaves

Stems with scattered vascular bundles

Narrow leaves Fibrous root system

Orchid – Paphiopedilum curtisii

Courtesy of Wm. C. Brown Publishers

Angiosperms - Dicot Flower parts are in

multiples of 4’s or 5’s– 4,12,16 or 5, 10, 15

Netted veins Vascular bundles

are in rings around the stem

Have broad leaves Taproot system

Hibiscus sp.

Courtesy of Wm. C. Brown Publishers

Monocot vs. Dicot

Courtesy of Wm. C. Brown Publishers

Monocot vs. Dicot

Why is distinguishing between monocots and dicots important in

landscape maintenance?

Stem Cross Section

What Is the Difference Between Annuals, Biennials and

Perennials?

Plants are often classified based on their life cycles

Even though gymnosperms and angiosperms reproduce by seed, there are different strategies for passing the seeds on to future generations

Annuals Plants grow from seed,

flower, produce new seeds all in one season

It dies after producing new seeds

Have an herbaceous stem – green & fleshy– Ex. Impatiens, corn,

snapdragons

Courtesy of Wm. C. Brown Publishers

Corn – Zea mays

See life cycle

Biennials Plants that live for

two years, then flower and die

Food is produced during the first year, flowers the second year– Ex. Foxglove,

carrot, queen Anne’s lace

Foxglove – Digitals purpurea

Courtesy of Wm. C. Brown PublishersSee life cycle

Perennials Plants that live for

three or more years Flower for a short time Do not die after

flowering Can be herbaceous or

woody – having thick stems made of wood– Ex. Tulips, Kentucky

bluegrass, trees and shrubs

Bristlecone pine – Pinus longaeva

See life cycle

Courtesy of Interstate Publishing

Germination----Growth---Flowering----Death

Germination---- Growth---Flowering----Dormancy

One or more flowering cycles

Germination---Growth---Dormancy---Growth---Flowering---Death

Season 1 Season 2

Back to Annuals

Back to Perennials

Back to Biennials

Summary What is the difference between an

angiosperm and a gymnosperm? How is a monocot different from a

dicot? Are evergreens herbaceous or woody

plants? How would you classify the grass

found outside on the lawn?

Summary Cont. What makes up the scientific name of a

plant? Why are scientific names written in Latin? In what group would you find mosses?

Describe their habitat. Describe the life cycle of a perennial. Name all 7 taxas in the classification

system.

Summary Cont. Can I spray Weed-b-gon on a lawn? Can I spray Grass-b-gon on day lilies? Could I spray Weed-b-gon on my

vegetable garden? What is the downside to including

biennials in a perennial flower garden? What are some practical classifications

I might want to give landscape plants?