Seed plants: classification and examples

What are seed plants called and what characteristics do they have? “Seed plants” is the most common way of calling them, but their more technical names are spermatophyte plants or phanerogamic plants .

They are one of the most widespread plants on the planet, divided into more than 235,000 species. In addition, they are able to adapt more easily to any type of environment, including the aquatic environment. However, the first thing we must answer to understand what evolutionary advances seed plants present is to know what a seed is . In a simple way, we can define the seed as a mature ovule from which, once fertilized, a new plant will sprout. Depending on the type of seed, these can be kept dormant under specific conditions without the need to germinate and reactivate when conditions are suitable for optimal growth. We recommend you learn about the parts of seeds and their functions with this other post.

Some of the characteristics of seed plants, in addition to its important presence on our planet and, therefore, its ability to adapt to very diverse climates and environments, is its vascular system. Through this, the plant more easily obtains the necessary nutrients for its development. In fact, plants with seeds have a much longer life span than other plants. Hence, the evolutionary advances of plants with seeds, stand out in comparison to other species without seeds, which are less developed. The appearance of vascular tissues not only favors the growth and development of the different species of plants with seeds, but has also achieved the creation of additional structures to favor their dispersion and thus reduce competition between the rest of the seeds and even with the mother plant. Thus,

The types of plants with seeds are classified into two large groups: angiosperms and gymnosperms .

Angiosperm plants

Angiosperms, a group to which the majority of terrestrial plants with no less than 250,000 specimens belong, are those that are characterized mainly by having the so-called true flowers and an axillary leaf located in the bract area known as the pedicel. Angiosperm seeds are enclosed and protected by carpels until it is pollinated, resulting in the fruit. In addition, within this group you will find not only herbaceous plants , but also shrubs and even arboreal ones. Similarly, angiosperms are subdivided according to the number of cotyledons in their seeds:

• Dicotyledons: those whose seeds are provided with two cotyledons that are located on each side of the embryo.
• Monocots: those that have a single embryonic leaf, or cotyledon, that completely envelops the seed.

Gymnosperm plants

Gymnosperm plants are characterized by having both the ovules and the seeds protected. They are usually woody-type plants such as trees and shrubs. They are also characterized by having simple, needle-like or needle-shaped leaves. However, their greatest characteristic is that they do not have true flowers.

As for the seeds of gymnosperms, it should be noted that some have a kind of wing-shaped membrane, known as a samara, which allows and facilitates dispersal by the action of the wind. These seeds have a slow pollination and fertilization process compared to angiosperms. What’s more, it can last for more than a year.

We also advise you to read this other AgroCorrn article in which we detail the Differences between angiosperms and gymnosperms .

Next, we offer you a simple list where we have grouped some names of plants with seeds , in several groups to differentiate them by their shape, structure and classification within the angiosperms and gymnosperms.

Grain seed plants

• Panicum miliaceum o mijo
• Sorghum the sorghum
• Glycine max oh cebada
• Rye cereal or rye
• Avena-sativa or oatmeal
• Oryza sativa rice
• Zea mays or corn
• Triticum spelta o espelta
• Triticum spp the wheat

Legume seed plants

• Vicia faba or bean
• Pisum sativum the stew
• Cucurbita maxima or pumpkin
• Viability O frijoles
• Pisum sativum o arveja
• Culinary lenses or lentils
• Cicer arietinum or chickpeas
• Glycine max o soja

Plants with angiosperm seeds s

• domestic malus o manzano
• Mangifera indicates the mango
• Citrus × sinensis o naranjo
• Persea americana or avocado
• Solanum lycopersicum o tomate

Seeds with gymnosperm seeds

• Pinus pinea or stone pine
• Abies alba or fir
• Cupressus sempervirens or cypress

If you want to read more articles similar to Plants with seeds: classification and examples , we recommend that you enter our Biology category .