To get a little closer to the wonderful and particular world of plants, we have created this article about plants without flowers . In it, in addition to explaining in a general way the origin and operation of these plants with more than 450 million years on Earth, we have made a list for you to discover a little more of each type. In addition, we include at the end a list with those species that are easier to acquire in your usual florist. We hope that it will be interesting to discover how plants without flowers reproduce and what they are.
Characteristics of non-flowering plants
The main characteristic of plants without flowers is their way of reproducing. As they do not have a reproductive organ, they do not produce fruits or seeds. These can be divided into two large groups: the bryophytes , where the moss is found, and the pteridophytes , where the ferns are found. Outside these two large groups there are other species without flowers, such as algae and other prehistoric plants.
Other peculiarities of these plants without flowers is their intense green hue, where in the case of ferns, they present strong stems and large leaves to favor the absorption of nutrients.
Their reproductive cycle can be somewhat complex. The spores are responsible for reproduction. These are structures capable of creating new individuals through cell division. The spores, normally located on the underside of the leaves, wait until they are mature to fall to the ground. In this way, if the area where the spore is placed complies with sufficient humidity, a new plant will be created. We could say that the spores create a genetically identical plant from the original mother plant.
Plants without flowers have a wide diversity and distribution in the world. For this reason, we have made a list of plants without flowers that are outstanding species below.
Plants without flowers: bryophytes or mosses
Mosses , as they do not have conductive tissues, feed directly on the particles dispersed in the water and the earth. Bryophyte plants do not have conductive vessels, so each of the cells that make them up has to come into contact individually with light and water to carry out photosynthesis.
Therefore, it is normal to associate them in humid places and where the sun does not reach. There are a great variety of species and, in fact, we can find them both forming colonies on land or on rocks, as well as in the aquatic environment.
Pteridophytes or ferns, another type of plants without flowers
The pteridofitas plants if they have conducting vessels that circulate sap, to the contrary mosses. Larger in size, these plants without flowers reproduce by spores and need to inhabit humid environments.
The wide variety and hardiness of ferns have made them one of the most popular species for both interior and exterior decoration. Its striking coloration and dense foliage is perfect for creating cool spaces.
Equisetos or horse tails
They are plants without flowers , that have rhizomes and that can reach up to one meter in height. It has herbaceous, branched and articulated stems. Its reproductive structure, called the strobilus, is made up of scales that keep the spores to open when they are mature. This type of plant, which is known as horsetail or horsetail , prefers moist and rich in nutrients, so it is normal to find it in growing areas and on the banks of ditches.
The anthocerotophyta or anthoceros
The anthocerotophyta or anthoceros are non-vascular plants that have a flattened, leaf-shaped body, also called the thalamus, and with a long, cylindrical structure. Although it is typical of the tropics, it can be found anywhere in the world. Own aquatic environments need humid and shady places.
Liverworts, another type of flowering plant
The liverworts , to the like mosses and hornworts, are nonvascular plants . These are characterized by being medium-sized plants that have a varied coloration to carry out photosynthesis. They generally grow in a wide variety of places such as tree branches, rocks, logs and even ravines. This is due to having a strong anchor with which to adapt to the terrain.
Names of plants without flowers – examples
These are some examples of the plants without flowers that are easy to find in the florist or nursery, that is, they are the most common:
- Cycas revoluta
- Dicksonia Antarctica
- Compact Diffenbachia
- Dracena Marginata
- Calathea Medaillon
- Fittonia verschaffeltii
- Kentia Forsteriana
- Codiaeum variegatum
- Tradescantia zebrina
- Scindapsus Pictus
- Adiantum capillus-veneris
- Equisetum sylvaticum
- Ctenanthe setosa
