Selina Textbook Solutions: Classification of Plants | Biology Class 7 ICSE PDF Download

 Page 1


Classification of Plants 
Synopsis: 
? Classification means grouping things together on the basis of certain common 
features. 
? The classification helps us to identify the living organisms and to study them more 
easily and systematically. 
? The plants can be classified as follows on the basis of their size and shape 
as: 
1. Herbs 
2. Shrubs 
3. Trees. 
? The plants which have soft, green and perishable stems are called herbs. 
Example: maize, rice, mint etc. 
?  The plants with woody stems, with branches of almost equal size arising from the 
stem immediately above the soil are called shrubs. 
Example: Lemon, jasmine etc. 
? The plants which are tall and have hard, woody stems and bear woody branches, 
twigs and leaves at some distance above the ground are called trees. 
Example: Coconut and palm. 
Non – flowering plants are called Cryptogams 
? Flowering plants are called Phanerogams. 
? The non-flowering plants can be further classified as: 
1. Thallophyta (Bacteria, Fungi and Algae) 
2.  Bryophyta (Mosses) 
3. Pteridophyta (Ferns) 
? Thallophyta do not bear-roots, stems or leaves. 
? Mosses have stems and leaves but no roots rather have 
thread-like structures called rhizoids. 
? Mosses are called Amphibians of the plant group as they need water to 
reproduce. 
? Spores are not seeds. 
? Spores are tiny structures capable of producing new plants. 
? The flowering plants can be further classified into 
1. Gymno sperms. 
2.  Angiosperms. 
? The flowering plants that bear seeds but no fruit are called Gymnosperms. Their 
seeds are thin and naked. 
? The characteristic feature of gymnosperms is that their roots are well developed, 
trunk is thick and woody and their leaves are long and pointed. 
?  The female part of the angiosperms plant is called ovary. 
?  The plants can be classified on the basis of life span as: 
1. Annuals 
2. Biennials 
Page 2


Classification of Plants 
Synopsis: 
? Classification means grouping things together on the basis of certain common 
features. 
? The classification helps us to identify the living organisms and to study them more 
easily and systematically. 
? The plants can be classified as follows on the basis of their size and shape 
as: 
1. Herbs 
2. Shrubs 
3. Trees. 
? The plants which have soft, green and perishable stems are called herbs. 
Example: maize, rice, mint etc. 
?  The plants with woody stems, with branches of almost equal size arising from the 
stem immediately above the soil are called shrubs. 
Example: Lemon, jasmine etc. 
? The plants which are tall and have hard, woody stems and bear woody branches, 
twigs and leaves at some distance above the ground are called trees. 
Example: Coconut and palm. 
Non – flowering plants are called Cryptogams 
? Flowering plants are called Phanerogams. 
? The non-flowering plants can be further classified as: 
1. Thallophyta (Bacteria, Fungi and Algae) 
2.  Bryophyta (Mosses) 
3. Pteridophyta (Ferns) 
? Thallophyta do not bear-roots, stems or leaves. 
? Mosses have stems and leaves but no roots rather have 
thread-like structures called rhizoids. 
? Mosses are called Amphibians of the plant group as they need water to 
reproduce. 
? Spores are not seeds. 
? Spores are tiny structures capable of producing new plants. 
? The flowering plants can be further classified into 
1. Gymno sperms. 
2.  Angiosperms. 
? The flowering plants that bear seeds but no fruit are called Gymnosperms. Their 
seeds are thin and naked. 
? The characteristic feature of gymnosperms is that their roots are well developed, 
trunk is thick and woody and their leaves are long and pointed. 
?  The female part of the angiosperms plant is called ovary. 
?  The plants can be classified on the basis of life span as: 
1. Annuals 
2. Biennials 
3. Perennials 
?  The plants which live for only one season in a year are called annuals. 
Example: Wheat, rice, pea, sunflower. 
?  The plants which complete their life cycle in two years, i.e. in the first year they 
bear the vegetative parts while in the second year they bear flowers, fruits and 
seeds are called 
biennials. 
Example: Carrot, potato, cabbage. 
?  The plants which live for more than two years and bear flowers, fruit and seeds 
every year. 
[They may even live for hundreds of years] are called 
perennials. 
Example: Banyan, pine. 
? The perennial plants can be further divided as 
1.  Deciduous: Shed their leaves once in a year usually before winter. • 
Example: Oak, mulberry. 
2. Evergreen: These never shed their leaves all at one time. They keep 
shedding their leaves throughout the year. Example: Mango, guava etc. 
? The self – nourishing living beings are called autotrophs. Those nourishing on 
others are called heterotrophs. 
?  On the basis of habitat, the plants can be classified as. 
1. mesophytes 
2. xerophytes 
3. hydrophytes. 
?  Mesophytes : The plants which grow on land and need moderate amount of 
water for their survival. 
Example: Mango,apple. 
? Xerophytes: 
 
1.  The plants which grow is deserts and need minimum amount of water for 
their survival. 
2.  These have thin and spiny leaves to minimise water loss.Example: Cactus, 
Babul etc. 
? Hydrophytes: 
1. The plants need maximum amount of water and hence grow in water. 
2.  They have either very small or no roots at all. 
Example: Lotus, water lily etc. 
Activity 1 
Visit a garden park with your teacher or parents and take along with you, a notebook 
and a pencil. In the park, you would see a large variety of plants some very small, some 
with average height and some very tall. These plants differ in their features like shape, 
size (small/medium/tall) and life span. Observe these features carefully (you may even 
take help from the Gardner) and note down in the table given below. 
Classify these plants in their respective appearance and categories: 
Page 3


Classification of Plants 
Synopsis: 
? Classification means grouping things together on the basis of certain common 
features. 
? The classification helps us to identify the living organisms and to study them more 
easily and systematically. 
? The plants can be classified as follows on the basis of their size and shape 
as: 
1. Herbs 
2. Shrubs 
3. Trees. 
? The plants which have soft, green and perishable stems are called herbs. 
Example: maize, rice, mint etc. 
?  The plants with woody stems, with branches of almost equal size arising from the 
stem immediately above the soil are called shrubs. 
Example: Lemon, jasmine etc. 
? The plants which are tall and have hard, woody stems and bear woody branches, 
twigs and leaves at some distance above the ground are called trees. 
Example: Coconut and palm. 
Non – flowering plants are called Cryptogams 
? Flowering plants are called Phanerogams. 
? The non-flowering plants can be further classified as: 
1. Thallophyta (Bacteria, Fungi and Algae) 
2.  Bryophyta (Mosses) 
3. Pteridophyta (Ferns) 
? Thallophyta do not bear-roots, stems or leaves. 
? Mosses have stems and leaves but no roots rather have 
thread-like structures called rhizoids. 
? Mosses are called Amphibians of the plant group as they need water to 
reproduce. 
? Spores are not seeds. 
? Spores are tiny structures capable of producing new plants. 
? The flowering plants can be further classified into 
1. Gymno sperms. 
2.  Angiosperms. 
? The flowering plants that bear seeds but no fruit are called Gymnosperms. Their 
seeds are thin and naked. 
? The characteristic feature of gymnosperms is that their roots are well developed, 
trunk is thick and woody and their leaves are long and pointed. 
?  The female part of the angiosperms plant is called ovary. 
?  The plants can be classified on the basis of life span as: 
1. Annuals 
2. Biennials 
3. Perennials 
?  The plants which live for only one season in a year are called annuals. 
Example: Wheat, rice, pea, sunflower. 
?  The plants which complete their life cycle in two years, i.e. in the first year they 
bear the vegetative parts while in the second year they bear flowers, fruits and 
seeds are called 
biennials. 
Example: Carrot, potato, cabbage. 
?  The plants which live for more than two years and bear flowers, fruit and seeds 
every year. 
[They may even live for hundreds of years] are called 
perennials. 
Example: Banyan, pine. 
? The perennial plants can be further divided as 
1.  Deciduous: Shed their leaves once in a year usually before winter. • 
Example: Oak, mulberry. 
2. Evergreen: These never shed their leaves all at one time. They keep 
shedding their leaves throughout the year. Example: Mango, guava etc. 
? The self – nourishing living beings are called autotrophs. Those nourishing on 
others are called heterotrophs. 
?  On the basis of habitat, the plants can be classified as. 
1. mesophytes 
2. xerophytes 
3. hydrophytes. 
?  Mesophytes : The plants which grow on land and need moderate amount of 
water for their survival. 
Example: Mango,apple. 
? Xerophytes: 
 
1.  The plants which grow is deserts and need minimum amount of water for 
their survival. 
2.  These have thin and spiny leaves to minimise water loss.Example: Cactus, 
Babul etc. 
? Hydrophytes: 
1. The plants need maximum amount of water and hence grow in water. 
2.  They have either very small or no roots at all. 
Example: Lotus, water lily etc. 
Activity 1 
Visit a garden park with your teacher or parents and take along with you, a notebook 
and a pencil. In the park, you would see a large variety of plants some very small, some 
with average height and some very tall. These plants differ in their features like shape, 
size (small/medium/tall) and life span. Observe these features carefully (you may even 
take help from the Gardner) and note down in the table given below. 
Classify these plants in their respective appearance and categories: 
Answer: 
 
 
Activity 2 
Visit a nearby garden or park. Observe the different types of plants small and large, 
growing there. If permitted by the care-taker collect samples of as many types of plants 
as you can by plucking. Be sure that you do not damage the plant and collect only one 
specimen of each type. Take them to your school and record them according to their 
categories in your notebook 
 
 
 
Page 4


Classification of Plants 
Synopsis: 
? Classification means grouping things together on the basis of certain common 
features. 
? The classification helps us to identify the living organisms and to study them more 
easily and systematically. 
? The plants can be classified as follows on the basis of their size and shape 
as: 
1. Herbs 
2. Shrubs 
3. Trees. 
? The plants which have soft, green and perishable stems are called herbs. 
Example: maize, rice, mint etc. 
?  The plants with woody stems, with branches of almost equal size arising from the 
stem immediately above the soil are called shrubs. 
Example: Lemon, jasmine etc. 
? The plants which are tall and have hard, woody stems and bear woody branches, 
twigs and leaves at some distance above the ground are called trees. 
Example: Coconut and palm. 
Non – flowering plants are called Cryptogams 
? Flowering plants are called Phanerogams. 
? The non-flowering plants can be further classified as: 
1. Thallophyta (Bacteria, Fungi and Algae) 
2.  Bryophyta (Mosses) 
3. Pteridophyta (Ferns) 
? Thallophyta do not bear-roots, stems or leaves. 
? Mosses have stems and leaves but no roots rather have 
thread-like structures called rhizoids. 
? Mosses are called Amphibians of the plant group as they need water to 
reproduce. 
? Spores are not seeds. 
? Spores are tiny structures capable of producing new plants. 
? The flowering plants can be further classified into 
1. Gymno sperms. 
2.  Angiosperms. 
? The flowering plants that bear seeds but no fruit are called Gymnosperms. Their 
seeds are thin and naked. 
? The characteristic feature of gymnosperms is that their roots are well developed, 
trunk is thick and woody and their leaves are long and pointed. 
?  The female part of the angiosperms plant is called ovary. 
?  The plants can be classified on the basis of life span as: 
1. Annuals 
2. Biennials 
3. Perennials 
?  The plants which live for only one season in a year are called annuals. 
Example: Wheat, rice, pea, sunflower. 
?  The plants which complete their life cycle in two years, i.e. in the first year they 
bear the vegetative parts while in the second year they bear flowers, fruits and 
seeds are called 
biennials. 
Example: Carrot, potato, cabbage. 
?  The plants which live for more than two years and bear flowers, fruit and seeds 
every year. 
[They may even live for hundreds of years] are called 
perennials. 
Example: Banyan, pine. 
? The perennial plants can be further divided as 
1.  Deciduous: Shed their leaves once in a year usually before winter. • 
Example: Oak, mulberry. 
2. Evergreen: These never shed their leaves all at one time. They keep 
shedding their leaves throughout the year. Example: Mango, guava etc. 
? The self – nourishing living beings are called autotrophs. Those nourishing on 
others are called heterotrophs. 
?  On the basis of habitat, the plants can be classified as. 
1. mesophytes 
2. xerophytes 
3. hydrophytes. 
?  Mesophytes : The plants which grow on land and need moderate amount of 
water for their survival. 
Example: Mango,apple. 
? Xerophytes: 
 
1.  The plants which grow is deserts and need minimum amount of water for 
their survival. 
2.  These have thin and spiny leaves to minimise water loss.Example: Cactus, 
Babul etc. 
? Hydrophytes: 
1. The plants need maximum amount of water and hence grow in water. 
2.  They have either very small or no roots at all. 
Example: Lotus, water lily etc. 
Activity 1 
Visit a garden park with your teacher or parents and take along with you, a notebook 
and a pencil. In the park, you would see a large variety of plants some very small, some 
with average height and some very tall. These plants differ in their features like shape, 
size (small/medium/tall) and life span. Observe these features carefully (you may even 
take help from the Gardner) and note down in the table given below. 
Classify these plants in their respective appearance and categories: 
Answer: 
 
 
Activity 2 
Visit a nearby garden or park. Observe the different types of plants small and large, 
growing there. If permitted by the care-taker collect samples of as many types of plants 
as you can by plucking. Be sure that you do not damage the plant and collect only one 
specimen of each type. Take them to your school and record them according to their 
categories in your notebook 
 
 
 
Answer:  
 
Activity 3 
You will see two parts in gram seed. Each part of the seed in called cotyledon. In maize 
seed, you will see only one cotyledon. Can you tell which seed among them is 
monocotyledon and which is dicotyledon ? 
Monocot : Dicot 
Answer: 
Monocot: maize seed Dicot: gram seed 
Review Questions  
1.Tick ( ?) the appropriate answer : 
(i) The two main categories of plants recognised on the basis of whether they produce 
fruits or not: 
a) Biennials and annuals 
b) Angiosperms and gymnosperms 
c) Herbs and shrubs 
d) Bryophyta and pteridophyta 
(ii) Unicellular organisms with a proper nucleus are known as : 
(a) Protista 
(b) Monera 
(c) Fungi 
(d) Algae 
Page 5


Classification of Plants 
Synopsis: 
? Classification means grouping things together on the basis of certain common 
features. 
? The classification helps us to identify the living organisms and to study them more 
easily and systematically. 
? The plants can be classified as follows on the basis of their size and shape 
as: 
1. Herbs 
2. Shrubs 
3. Trees. 
? The plants which have soft, green and perishable stems are called herbs. 
Example: maize, rice, mint etc. 
?  The plants with woody stems, with branches of almost equal size arising from the 
stem immediately above the soil are called shrubs. 
Example: Lemon, jasmine etc. 
? The plants which are tall and have hard, woody stems and bear woody branches, 
twigs and leaves at some distance above the ground are called trees. 
Example: Coconut and palm. 
Non – flowering plants are called Cryptogams 
? Flowering plants are called Phanerogams. 
? The non-flowering plants can be further classified as: 
1. Thallophyta (Bacteria, Fungi and Algae) 
2.  Bryophyta (Mosses) 
3. Pteridophyta (Ferns) 
? Thallophyta do not bear-roots, stems or leaves. 
? Mosses have stems and leaves but no roots rather have 
thread-like structures called rhizoids. 
? Mosses are called Amphibians of the plant group as they need water to 
reproduce. 
? Spores are not seeds. 
? Spores are tiny structures capable of producing new plants. 
? The flowering plants can be further classified into 
1. Gymno sperms. 
2.  Angiosperms. 
? The flowering plants that bear seeds but no fruit are called Gymnosperms. Their 
seeds are thin and naked. 
? The characteristic feature of gymnosperms is that their roots are well developed, 
trunk is thick and woody and their leaves are long and pointed. 
?  The female part of the angiosperms plant is called ovary. 
?  The plants can be classified on the basis of life span as: 
1. Annuals 
2. Biennials 
3. Perennials 
?  The plants which live for only one season in a year are called annuals. 
Example: Wheat, rice, pea, sunflower. 
?  The plants which complete their life cycle in two years, i.e. in the first year they 
bear the vegetative parts while in the second year they bear flowers, fruits and 
seeds are called 
biennials. 
Example: Carrot, potato, cabbage. 
?  The plants which live for more than two years and bear flowers, fruit and seeds 
every year. 
[They may even live for hundreds of years] are called 
perennials. 
Example: Banyan, pine. 
? The perennial plants can be further divided as 
1.  Deciduous: Shed their leaves once in a year usually before winter. • 
Example: Oak, mulberry. 
2. Evergreen: These never shed their leaves all at one time. They keep 
shedding their leaves throughout the year. Example: Mango, guava etc. 
? The self – nourishing living beings are called autotrophs. Those nourishing on 
others are called heterotrophs. 
?  On the basis of habitat, the plants can be classified as. 
1. mesophytes 
2. xerophytes 
3. hydrophytes. 
?  Mesophytes : The plants which grow on land and need moderate amount of 
water for their survival. 
Example: Mango,apple. 
? Xerophytes: 
 
1.  The plants which grow is deserts and need minimum amount of water for 
their survival. 
2.  These have thin and spiny leaves to minimise water loss.Example: Cactus, 
Babul etc. 
? Hydrophytes: 
1. The plants need maximum amount of water and hence grow in water. 
2.  They have either very small or no roots at all. 
Example: Lotus, water lily etc. 
Activity 1 
Visit a garden park with your teacher or parents and take along with you, a notebook 
and a pencil. In the park, you would see a large variety of plants some very small, some 
with average height and some very tall. These plants differ in their features like shape, 
size (small/medium/tall) and life span. Observe these features carefully (you may even 
take help from the Gardner) and note down in the table given below. 
Classify these plants in their respective appearance and categories: 
Answer: 
 
 
Activity 2 
Visit a nearby garden or park. Observe the different types of plants small and large, 
growing there. If permitted by the care-taker collect samples of as many types of plants 
as you can by plucking. Be sure that you do not damage the plant and collect only one 
specimen of each type. Take them to your school and record them according to their 
categories in your notebook 
 
 
 
Answer:  
 
Activity 3 
You will see two parts in gram seed. Each part of the seed in called cotyledon. In maize 
seed, you will see only one cotyledon. Can you tell which seed among them is 
monocotyledon and which is dicotyledon ? 
Monocot : Dicot 
Answer: 
Monocot: maize seed Dicot: gram seed 
Review Questions  
1.Tick ( ?) the appropriate answer : 
(i) The two main categories of plants recognised on the basis of whether they produce 
fruits or not: 
a) Biennials and annuals 
b) Angiosperms and gymnosperms 
c) Herbs and shrubs 
d) Bryophyta and pteridophyta 
(ii) Unicellular organisms with a proper nucleus are known as : 
(a) Protista 
(b) Monera 
(c) Fungi 
(d) Algae 
(iii) Amoeba belongs to : 
(a) Monera 
b) Protista 
(c) Fungi 
(d) Algae 
Short Answer Questions 
1. Name the categories of the following: 
1.  Plants which do not have roots, stems, and leaves: Thallophyta. 
2.  Plants with no roots, but have stems and leaves: Bryophyta  or Mosses. 
3.  Plants with roots, stems, and leaves, and which bear spore- producing 
bodies: Pteridophyta or Ferns. 
4.  The amphibians of the plant kingdom mosses (Bryophytes) 
2. Give two characterists and one example of each of the following: 
(i) Algae: 
Ans. Example: Spirogyra 
(a) these are found in stagnant water of ponds, growing as green scum 
(b) they have chlorophyll 
(ii) Fungi: 
Ans. Example: Mushroom 
(a) They cannot prepare their food 
(b) Most fungi live on dead and decaying organic matter 
(iii) Monocot: 
Ans. Example: Maize 
(a) They have seeds with one cotyledon 
(b) Cotyledon usually becomes the embryonic first leaves of a seedling 
(iv) Dicot 
Ans. (a) They contain two cotyledons in their seed. 
(b) They have network like (reticulate) venation in their leaves. 
Examples : gram, rose, mango. 
(v) Bryophyta 
Ans. (a) They have stems and leaves but no roots. 
(b) They are non-flowering plants. 
Examples : mosses, liverworts.