What plants are called higher? Examples, signs and characteristics of higher plants

Does everyone know which plants are called the highest? This species has its own characteristics. To date, higher plants include:

• The Plains.
• Mosses.
• Ferns.
• Horsetails.
• Gymnosperms.
• Angiosperms.

There are more than 285 species of such plants. They are distinguished by a much higher organization. Their bodies contain an escape and a root (except mosses).

Characteristics

Higher plants live on earth. This residence differs from the aquatic environment.

Characteristics of higher plants:

• The body consists of tissues and organs.
• With the help of vegetative organs nutrition and metabolic functions are carried out.
• Gymnosperms and angiosperms reproduce with the help of seeds.

Most of the higher plants have roots, stems and leaves. Their organs are difficult to build. This species has cells (tracheids), vessels, sieve tubes, and their cover tissues form a complex system.

The main feature of higher plants is the alternation of generations. They pass from the haploid phase to the diploid phase, and vice versa.

Origin of higher plants

All the signs of higher plants indicate that, perhaps, they originated from algae. Very similarities are with algae extinct representatives belonging to the higher group. They have a similar alternation of generations and many other characteristics.

There is a theory that higher plants have appeared from green algae or freshwater. The first to arise rinophytes. When the plants moved to land, they began to develop rapidly. Mosses were not so viable, because they need water in the form of drops, so that they exist. Because of this, they appear in places where there is high humidity.

To date, plants have spread throughout the planet. They can be seen in the desert, the tropics and in cold places. They form forests, swamps, meadows.

Despite the fact that when thinking about what plants are called the highest, you can name thousands of options, but still they can be combined into some guppies.

Moss

When clarifying which plants are called higher, one should not forget about mosses. In nature, about 10,000 species are isolated. Outwardly this small plant, its length does not exceed 5 cm.

Mosses do not bloom, they do not have a root that conducts the system. Reproduction occurs with the help of a dispute. The haploid gametophyte predominates in the cycle of moss life. This plant, which lives for several years, it can have outgrowths similar to roots. But the sporophyte of mosses does not last long, it dries up, it has only a leg, a box, where maturation of the spores takes place. The structure of these representatives of living nature is simple, they do not know how to take root.

Mosses play such a role in nature:

• They create a special biocenosis.
• The moss cover absorbs radioactive substances and keeps them.
• Regulate the water balance of landscapes due to the fact that they absorb water.
• Protect the soil from erosion, which allows you to evenly transfer the flow of water.
• Some types of mosses are used for medical preparations.
• Peat is formed with the help of sphagnum mosses.

Placenta Plants

In addition to mosses, there are other higher plants. Examples may be different, but they all have something in common with each other. For example, mosses resemble a moss-like plant, but their evolution is more advanced, as these are vascular species. They consist of stems that have covered small leaves. They have roots and vascular tissue, through which food takes place. The presence of these components of the plaques are very similar to ferns.

In the tropics, epiphytic plaques are distinguished. They hang from the trees, creating a fringe look. Such plants have the same spores.

Some plants are listed in the Red Book.

Psilotoid plants

This species of plants has been living for many years. This includes two kinds of representatives of the tropics. They have erect stems, similar to the rhizome. But they have no real roots. Conductive system is located in the stem, consists of phloem, xylem. But the water does not fall into the leaf-like appendages of plants.

Photosynthesis takes place in the stems, spores forming on the branches turn into cylindrical branches.

Fernate

What plants are called higher still? These include ferns that enter the vascular compartment. They are herbaceous and woody.

The composition of the fern body includes:

• Chuck.
• Sheet plates.
• Roots and shoots.

The leaves of the fern have been called vayami. The stem is usually short, it has a developed tissue. From the buds of the rhizome grows vayi. They reach a large size, perform sporulation, photosynthesis.

In the cycle of life, sporophyte and gametophyte alternate. There are some theories that say that the ferns evolved from the wilds. Although there are scientists who believe that many higher plants have appeared from psilophytes.

Many species of ferns are animal food, and some are poisonous. Despite this, such plants are used in medicine.

Horsetail

The higher plants include horsetail. They consist of segments and nodes, which distinguishes them from other plants of the highest species. Khvoshchevye representatives resemble some conifers, flowering plants and algae.

This is a kind of representative of wildlife. They have vegetative signs similar to cereals. The length of the stems can be several centimeters, and sometimes grows to several meters.

Gymnosperms

Gymnosperms are also distinguished from higher plants. Today there are a few of them. Despite this, different scientists have argued that angiosperms originated from gymnosperms. This is evidenced by the various plant remains found. DNA studies were conducted, after which some scientists deduced the theory that this species belongs to the monophyletic group. They are still divided into many classes and departments.

Angiosperms

These plants are also called flowering plants. They are referred to the highest form. They differ from other representatives by the presence of a flower, which serves for reproduction. They have a special feature - double fertilization.

The flower attracts pollination agents. The walls of the ovary grow, change, turn into a fruit. This occurs when fertilization has occurred.

So, there are different higher plants. Examples of them can be listed for a long time, but all of them were disbanded by certain groups.