Types Of Plants

What types of plants are there?

In the world there are millions of species of plants. Each of them has adopted forms that allow them to capture as much sunlight as possible in order to grow. There are trees, palm trees, cactus, climbing plants … and they all do everything possible to keep alive one more day.

Each variety has its own characteristics, so let’s see what types of plants there are in the world.

For this article to be more orderly, we are going to classify the plants in two great kingdoms: Gymnosperms and Angiosperms . What is the difference between them? Basically, in that the first ones do not have showy flowers. They were the first to appear 350 million years ago, so they are considered primitive plants.

The second ones, on the other hand, are more “modern”: they appeared 145 million years ago. Today they are the most abundant, and those that most often decorate the gardens and terraces.

Gymnosperms

Within the Gymnosperms we find the conifers, the Cicadaceae, the ferns and a single tree: the Ginkgo biloba .

Coniferous

Cupressus (Cypress)

The conifers are all those plants, whether they are trees or shrubs, that have a more or less straight trunk, with the horizontal branches. Its leaves are perennial, and have a needle shape. The flowers are unisexual, and the fruit has the shape of a pineapple.

The most representative species are:

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Cicadaceae

The botanical family Cicadaceae is characterized by having a straight trunk, long pinnate leaves, a curious inflorescence that is rounded in the case of the female feet and elongated in the male feet , and a very hard seed, usually reddish in color.

The most representative species are:

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Ginkgo biloba

The Ginkgo biloba is the only species of the genus Ginkgo has survived to this day. It is believed to originate in Asia, specifically China. It grows very slowly, until it reaches a height of 35 meters. Its leaves are very peculiar, since they are shaped like a fan. These are dark green and measure between 5 and 15cm. The trunk is straight, with a narrow crown and somewhat pyramidal.

Ferns

The ferns are characterized by having fronds (leaves) that emerge from the center of the plant and are unrolled as they open . They exist throughout the temperate and warm regions of the world, especially in the humid tropical forests. Most of them do not have a stem, but there are some other species, such as Cyathea cooperi, which develops a very beautiful arboreal appearance.

The most representative species are:

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RELATED ARTICLE:5 types of ferns for terrace or garden

Angiosperms

Within the kingdom of the Angiosperms we find many types of plants whose flowers are very beautiful. For example:

Trees

Trees are those plants that measure more than 4 meters, with perennial or deciduous leaves. The stem is woody, measuring at least 30cm in diameter, and branches from a certain distance from the ground.

The most representative species are:

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Shrubbery

The bushes are ideal plants to fill the gaps that have been left empty in the garden. They grow no more than 4 meters, and there are many that are very decorative, either because of their flowers or their leaves … or both ????. They are characterized by branching from very close to the ground, sometimes from their level. Its stems are woody, and may have perennial or deciduous leaves.

The most representative species are:

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Climbers or epiphytes

Climbers are shrubs with stems that grow on the branches of trees . Normally, they have a very fast growth rate and very nice flowers.

The most representative species are:

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Cactus

The cactus plants are very easy to recognize: most of them have more or less long thorns, with a fleshy stem and flowers so beautiful that, unfortunately, they only last a few days. They are only growing naturally in America, especially in Mexico.

The most representative species are:

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Carnivorous

Carnivorous plants are those that find so few nutrients in the soil where they grow, that they have evolved to feed on insects . Thus, they have developed sophisticated traps that attract them.

The most representative species are:

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RELATED ARTICLE:7 types of carnivorous plants

Succulents

The succulents, or non-cacti succulents, are native to Africa. Are those plants with leaves and / or fleshy stems that, in most cases, do not have thorns , so they are a highly recommended option to decorate the patio or the terrace avoiding the risk of children getting hurt.

The most representative species are:

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Herbaceous

Within this group we distinguish the annuals , which are those that have a lifecycle of a year such as calendula or daisies of the meadows; the bi-annual , whose life cycle lasts 2 years as the digitalis or the wallflowers; and the vivacious ones , which are the ones that live several years like gazanias, for example.

The most representative species are:

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Horticulture

The horticulturals are herbaceous that have fruits, leaves and / or edible roots . They are the most important for the human being, since they allow us to be well nourished.

The most representative species are:

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Orchids

What about the orchids? They are the owners of the most elegant flowers in the world. Some of them adopt curious forms of animals , and what is more curious is that to germinate, they need the help of mushrooms. There are three types: epiphytes, which are those that grow on the branches of other tall plants; semi-epiphytes, which are the ones that can live well both on the branches and on the mainland; and terrestrial, which are the ones that grow on the forest floor .

The most representative species are:

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Palm Trees

Palm trees are herbaceous plants that inhabit all the temperate and warm regions of the world. It is estimated that there are about 3200 species, and all of them are truly spectacular. They are characterized by having (or not) a woody stem (but only with primary trunk growth), evergreen leaves that can be pinnacled, costapalmadas or palmadas, with or without spines, axillary inflorescences, and fruits that can measure from 1 to 15 cm in length whose interior is the seed.

The most representative species are:

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RELATED ARTICLE:How are they classified and what types of palm trees are there?

Caudiciform plants or plants with caudex

These are plants whose trunk serves as a reservoir of water . As they absorb the precious liquid from the soil, its stem thickens, forming what is known as caudex. They are a type of very curious and beautiful plant species, especially if we take into account that they live in normally arid climates.

The most representative species are:

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And with this we finish. We hope you have found it useful ????.