PLANT PHYLA COMPARISONSVarious terms

Plant PhylaBryophyta Filicinophyta Coniferophyta Angiospermophyta

Vegetative organs-parts of the plant concerned

with growth rather than reproduction

Rhizoids but no true roots. Some with simple stems & leaves; others

have only a thallus

Roots, stems, & leaves are usually present

Vascular tissue- tissues with tubular structures

used for transport within the plant

No xylem or phloem

Xylem and Phloem are both present

Cambium- cells between xylem and phloem that

can produce more of these tissues

No cambium, no true trees & shrubs

Present in conifers & most angiosperms, allowing secondary thickening of stems & roots & development of plants into trees & shrubs

Pollen- small structures containing male gametes that are

dispersed

Pollen is not produced Pollen is produced in male cones

Pollen is produced by anthers in flowers

Ovules- contains a female gamete &

develops into a seed after fertilization

No ovaries or ovules Ovules are produced in female cones

Ovules are enclosed inside ovaries in flowers

Seeds-dispersible unit consisting of an embryo plant and food reserves,

inside a seed coat

No seeds Seeds are produced and dispersed

Fruits- seeds together with a fruit wall

developed from the ovary wall

No fruits Fruits produced for dispersal of seeds

Bryophyta

LIVERWORT MOSS

HORNWORT

Filicinophyta

FERNS

Coniferophyta

CONIFERS

Angiospermophyta

FLOWERING PLANTS

Phylum & Examples Mouth/Anus Symmetry Skeleton Other External Recognition Features

Porifera No mouth or anus

None Internal spicules (skeletal needles)

Many pores over the surface through which water is drawn

in for filter feeding. Varied shapes

Cnidaria Mouth only Radial Soft, but hard corals secrete CaCO3

Tentacles arranged in rings around the mouth, with stinging cells. Polyps or

medusae (jellyfish)

Platyhelminthes Mouth only Bilateral Soft with no skeleton Flat & thin bodies in the shape of a ribbon. No blood system or system for gas exchange

Mollusca Mouth and anus

Bilateral Most have shell made of CaCO3

A fold in the body wall called the mantle secretes the shall. A hard rasping radula is used

for feeding.

Annelida Mouth and anus

Bilateral Internal cavity with fluid under pressure

Bodies made up of many ring-shaped segments, often with bristles. Blood vessels often

visible

Arthropoda Mouth and anus

Bilateral External skeleton made of plates of

chitin

Segmented bodies and legs or other appendages with joints

between the sections.

Porifera

SPONGES

Cnidaria

Hydra Sea anemone

Jellyfish Coral

Platyhelminthes

Flatworms

Tapeworms

Flukes

MolluscaSnails

BivalvesOctopus

SquidsGastropods

Annelida

Marine Bristleworms

Leeches

Oligochaetes

Arthropoda

Insects Arachnids

CrustaceansMyriapods