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88 Nature

Stem supports

the leaves, buds,

and other parts

above ground

Roots take in

water and minerals

for the growing

oak seedling from

the soil

Oak seed

splits open

as the embryo

plant grows

PLANT CLASSIFICATION

So far, scientists have identified

over 300,000 species of plants.

These are divided into two

groups:

• Plants that reproduce using

spores, including mosses, ferns,

horsetails, and four other phyla.

• Plants that reproduce using
  seeds, including flowering plants
  and conifers.

Leaf uses sunlight

to make food for

the seedling

WHICH ARE THE BIGGEST PLANTS?

Trees are the biggest of all plants. They grow so large

because they are supported by a woody trunk that

increases in width as the tree grows taller. The tallest

tree, and the biggest living thing, is the Californian

coast redwood, which reaches over 110 m (361 ft).

CAN PLANTS MOVE?

Plants cannot move around like animals, but they still

show movements. Shoots grow, leaves turn towards

the Sun. If a plant has flowers, they open and close.

Climbing plants have fine tendrils, or stems, that reach

out until they find something firm to grip onto.

Leaf litter (dead

leaves) rots on

woodland floor

and releases

nutrients for

Plants

PLANTS

Plants are one of the five kingdoms

of living things. They are made up

of many cells and are usually rooted

in soil. Their green leaves capture

sunlight to make food by

. PHOTOSYNTHESIS, providing

food either directly or indirectly for

most other living things on Earth,

as well as life-giving oxygen.

GROWING PLANT 3

An underground woodland scene reveals an oak seedling

growing from a split acorn (oak seed). Although small,

the seedling already shows the main features of a plant,

including roots, a stem, buds, and leaves. Most species of

plants, including flowering plants, grow from seeds. Each

seed contains an embryo plant with its own food supply.