Science Blog: examples of green plants

Green algae are the most primitive form of green plants with about 7,000 species living today, notes Kimball's Biology Pages. These green plants are a vital food source for many aquatic animals. Most of the green algae group consists of microscopic forms that are unicellular. Colonial forms are green algae plants such as Spirogyra. Green algae can also be multicellular, with sea lettuce as an example.

Mosses and liverworts are seedless plants found in the Bryophyta group of green plants, notes the Microscopy website. Mosses are simple green plants that lack roots, but have a stem and leaves. Most mosses have leaves that are only a single cell wide, other than the midribs which are occasionally present. These green plants live in humid environments with cold to moderately warm temperatures.

There are about 8,500 liverwort species, notes the University of Massachusetts. Most liverworts grow in moist areas such as damp soil, shady stream banks or other wet environments. The gametophyte, which generally has a leafy shape, is the main type of liverwort.

There are roughly 15,000 fern species with many of them growing in the tropics, according to Kimball's Biology Pages. They typically grow in shady, damp environments. The stems (rhizomes) and roots of these perennial plants grow underground, while the plant's leaves (fronds) grow upward from the rhizome.

Angiosperms are one of two groups of seed plants. Also known as "flowering plants," angiosperms produce flowers that later develop into fruits containing seeds. The two types of angiosperms are monocots and dicots. Monocots have just one embryonic leaf, while dicots have two cotyledons or embryonic leaves. Examples of monocots are palms, orchids, sweet potatoes, yams, lilies, onions, asparagus, bananas and all grasses. Dicots include plants such as squash, legumes, roses, apples, strawberries, peaches, almonds, oranges and other citrus fruits.

Gymnosperms are the other group of seed plants. The seeds of gymnosperms, which mean "naked seeds," are borne in cones. There are about 550 living conifer species, including pines, spruces and firs, according to Kimball's Biology Pages. These plants are the oldest and largest group of all living organisms. Most conifers are evergreens that have modified leaves called "needles."

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