Plants to Flowers (Plant timeline)

 

Plants introduction

    Many people think that they plants we have on the earth now are the plants that were here a hundred years ago. However this in not the case and the plants that we have on the earth now are not the plants that were here a couple years ago. The plants we have seen now have went through years of different evolutions. Before the land plants were not the beautiful flowers you see in your front yard. These plants have evolved and changed through generations and have went through years of evolution. This would have changed how the plants would have looked and even interacted with the earth and nature during that time.

Cuticles

    First on the plants development timeline is the cuticle. The cuticle is a waxy covering thats covers the outer layer of plants.The development of a cuticle helps a plant to maintain moisture. It also regulates the closing and opening of the stomata which are special pores in the epidermis of the cell. This helps to prevent the plants from drying out and prevents gametes and embryos from drying out.

Figure 1; shows the difference between a gymnosperm and a angiosperm

Vascular System and Seed

Next on the plant development is the vascular system. The vascular system developed the xylem and phloem. This helps plants to grow upward and not be so colder to the ground. An example of this would be ferns. Next in plant development is seeds also know as gymnosperm and this became a specialized unit of plant reproduction.(Angiosperms vs Gymnosperms 2022) The development of seeds also replaced spores in a plants life cycle and the seeds are naked.(Figure 1) This portion of the timeline includes most conifers like pine trees.

Figure 2; show the different parts of a flower

Flowers 

Finally in our plants timeline is the development of flowers also know as angiosperm. This is the reproductive structure that bears seeds in the ovaries. (Parts of a flower and their functions 2023) This can develop into fruit which is important for the distribution of seeds. The creation of flowers allows for pollination and more genetic variation which is important to diversity of plants. Flowers have two parts: a male part which include the stamen which includes the anther and filament.(Figure 2) They also have female parts which includes the stigma which is the opening to receive pollen. It also includes the style and ovary. (Figure 2) These flowers can develop into fruit by the seeds developing in the ovary walls which thicken which then can form fruit.

Figure 3; shows a comparison of mono and dicots

Monocots vs Dicots

Angiosperm are split into two different groups; monocots and dicots. Monocots have 1 cotyledon hence the name mono meaning one and cot meaning cotyledon. Similarly, dicots have 2 cotyledon which is where it get its name Di meaning 2 and cot from cotyledon (Monocot vs. Dicot 2023) Their vascular system is different. In monocots the vascular system is scattered and in dicots they are placed in a ringed fashion. The veins of a leaf in monocots are parallel compared to the leafs in a dicot which are in a network system. (Figure 3)

References

Angiosperms vs Gymnosperms. Diffen. (29 Nov 2022). https://www.diffen.com/difference/Angiosperms_vs_Gymnosperms 

GeeksforGeeks. (2023, October 17). Parts of a flower and their functions. GeeksforGeeks. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/parts-of-a-flower-and-their-functions/ 

Monocot vs. Dicot. Junior Master Gardener. (2023, May 23). https://jmgkids.us/kids-zone/jmgkidsweb/monocotvsdicot/