The main difference between flowering plants and conifers is that flowering plants are angiosperms, which produce flower as the reproductive structure whereas conifers belong to the division Pinophyta, a group of gymnosperms whose reproductive structure is cones. Moreover, the ovary encloses the seeds of the flowering plants while conifers produce naked seeds.
Flowering plants and conifers are two groups of higher plants. It means; they are vascular plants whose plant body is differentiated into stem, roots, and leaves. Both do not require water for sexual reproduction.
Key Areas Covered
1. What are Flowering Plants
– Definition, Characteristics, Reproduction
2. What are Conifers
– Definition, Characteristics, Reproduction
3. What are the Similarities Between Flowering Plants and Conifers
– Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Flowering Plants and Conifers
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Cones, Conifers, Flower, Flowering Plants, Leaves, Seed, Xylem and Phloem
What are Flowering Plants
Flowering plants or angiosperms are the most adaptable group of plants for the terrestrial environment. Therefore, this group contains the highest number of species on the earth, including trees, shrubs, and herbs. Flowering plants consist of a specialized type of vascular system. Their xylem contains both tracheids and xylem vessels while their phloem contains both sieve tube elements associated with the companion cells. These specializations increase the efficiency of conduction.
Figure 1: European Crab Apple Flowers
For instance, the second characteristic feature of the flowering plants is the production of a flower as the reproductive structure. Both male and the female reproductive organs occur inside the flower. However, the flower can be either unisexual or bisexual. The ovules occur inside the ovary. Therefore, their seed is also covered by the ovary, which develops into the fruit later.
What are Conifers
Conifers or pinophytes are the other group of higher plants with a long lifespan. They stay evergreen for a long period of time as well. Most conifers are woody plants. Their leaves are needle-like in order to prevent water loss. Therefore, conifers are more adapted to live in areas covered with snow during the winter. However, their xylem contains only tracheids while the phloem contains only sieve cells for conduction.
Figure 2: Spruce Cones
In comparison to flowering plants, conifers do not produce flowers. The reproductive structures of conifers are the unsexual cones. Male cones comprise microsporophylls that produce microspores while the female cones comprisemegasporophylls that produce megaspores. However, just like flowering plants, conifers produce very small gametophytes that produce gametes. More significantly, the seed of the conifers is not covered by the ovary; hence, they do not produce a fruit. Thereby, the seed of the conifers is considered naked.
Similarities Between Flowering Plants and Conifers
- Flowering plants and conifers are the two groups of higher plants on the land.
- Both are vascular plants whose plant body is differentiated into stem, root, and leaves.
- Moreover, they undergo the alteration of generations with a prominent sporophyte.
- Also, they are heterosporous and produce both megaspores and microspores.
- Furthermore, both types of plants do not produce archegonia.
- Male and the female gametophytes of these plants are very small.
- In addition, both produce pollen and ovules for fertilization.
- Besides, their fertilization of gametes does not require water.
- Both produce seeds; hence, both types of plants are broadly categorized into a single group called Spermatophyta.
- Also, the mode of seed germination can be either hypogeal or epigeal.
- Their stem undergoes both primary and secondary growth.
Difference Between Flowering Plants and Conifers
Definition
Flowering plants refer to plants of a large group that comprises those that have flowers and produce seeds enclosed within a carpel, including herbaceous plants, shrubs, grasses, and most trees. Conifers refer to plants of a group that comprises those that have seeds unprotected by an ovary or fruit, including the conifers, cycads, and ginkgo. From these definitions, we can understand the main difference between flowering plants and conifers.
Taxonomy
Also, flowering plants belong to a large unranked taxonomic group known as Angiosperms while conifers belong to the division Pinophyta under Gymnosperms, which is a similar taxonomic group to the Angiosperms.
Variation
There are around 300,000 of flowering plant species on earth while there are more than 600 species of conifers on earth.
Types of Trees
Moreover, flowering plants can be either trees, shrubs or herbs while conifers are mainly woody plants.
Leaves
Shape of the leaf is an important difference between flowering plants and conifers. The leaves of flowering plants are flat while the leaves of conifers are scale-like.
Xylem Vessels
Another difference between flowering plants and conifers is that the xylem of flowering plants contains vessels while the xylem of conifers only contains tracheids but not vessels.
Phloem
The phloem of flowering plants contains sieve tubes with companion cells while the phloem of conifers does not contain sieve tubes and companion cells. Hence, this is also a difference between flowering plants and conifers.
Life Cycle
Furthermore, flowering plants are mostly seasonal while conifers are mostly evergreen. Furthermore, flowering plants are not-perennials while conifers are perennials.
Wood
One more difference between flowering plants and conifers is that flowering plants produce softwood while conifers produce hardwood.
Vegetative Propagation
Besides, flowering plants often undergo vegetative reproduction methods while vegetative reproduction methods are less common in conifers. Thus, this is anotherdifference between flowering plants and conifers.
Reproductive Structures
Both male and female reproductive structures of flowering plants occur in the flower while reproductive structures of conifers occur in cones. Furthermore, the flower can be either unisexual or bisexual while cones are always unisexual.
Placement of Ovules
The ovules of flowering plants are covered by the ovary while the ovules of conifers are attached to the megasporophylls.
Archegonia
One other difference between flowering plants and conifers is that flowering plants do not produce archegonia while conifers have archegonia.
Pollination
The pollination of flowering plants mainly occurs via animals while the pollination of conifers mainly occurs through the wind.
Flagella
The sperms of flowering plants do not contain flagella while the sperms of conifers have flagella.
Double Fertilization
Flowering plants undergo double fertilization while conifers do not undergo double fertilization. Therefore, the endosperm and the plant body of the flowering plants are triploid while those in conifers are haploid. This is anotherdifference between flowering plants and conifers.
Seeds
The seeds of the flowering plants are covered by a fruit while the seeds of the conifers are naked.
Cotyledons
The embryo of flowering plants contains one or two cotyledons while the embryo of conifers contains one or more cotyledons.
Uses
While flowering plants are used in food, medication, and clothing, conifers are used for lumber and papers.
Conclusion
Flowering plants produce a special reproductive structure called the flower. They undergo double fertilization to produce a triploid endosperm. The seed of the flowering plants is covered by a fruit. On the other hand, conifers produce unisexual cones as the reproductive structures. They do not undergo double fertilization and the seed of the conifer is naked. Therefore, the main difference between flowering plants and conifers is the features of sexual reproduction.
Reference:
1. “Characteristics of Angiosperms.” BiologyWise,Available Here
2. “Conifers.” Basic Biology, 28 May 2015,Available Here
Image Courtesy:
1. “Malus sylvestris inflorescence, Vosseslag, Belgium” By © Hans Hillewaert / (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “1232167” (CC0) via Pxhere
FAQs
Flowering plants are a vast group of plants that produce flowers and seeds enclosed in a fruit. Conifers are woody plants that produce naked seeds on a cone. They belong to the group of angiosperms. They belong to the division Pinophyta under gymnosperms.
What is the difference between flowering plants and flowering plants? ›
After fertilisation, these flowers produce fruits. Non-flowering plants are those that do not produce flowers and reproduce by spores. Angiosperms are plants that produce seed-bearing fruits.
...
Complete answer:
| FLOWERING PLANTS | NON-FLOWERING PLANTS |
|---|
| They bear seeds and fruits. | They do not produce flowers and seeds. |
5 more rowsAngiosperms, are also known as flowering plants and having seeds enclosed within their fruit. Whereas gymnosperms have no flowers or fruits and have naked seeds on the surface of their leaves. Gymnosperm seeds are configured as the cones.
What are 2 characteristics of conifers? ›
3 Characteristics of Conifers
- Cones: All conifers have cones. ...
- Spiny foliage: Many conifers have foliage that is spiny or needly, particularly evergreen conifers.
- Size and shape: Conifers can vary greatly in size, from the giant redwoods being some of the largest trees in the world to moderately-sized juniper trees.
Conifers are a group of trees and shrubs, for example pine trees and fir trees, that grow in cooler areas of the world. They have fruit called cones, and very thin leaves called needles which they do not normally lose in winter.
What are the 5 characteristics of flowering plants? ›
Floral Characteristics:
Flower:Ebracteate, pedicellate, complete, actinomorphic, bisexual, pentamerous, hypogynous. Calyx:Sepals 5, Gamosepalous, green, valvate aestivation. Corolla:Petals 5, Gamopetalous, white/purple, valvate aestivation. Androecium:Stamens 5, Epipetalous, Anther basifixed, Dithecous.
What are flowering plants called? ›
Botanists call flowering plants angiosperms, from the Greek words for "vessel" and "seed." Unlike conifers, which produce seeds in open cones, angiosperms enclose their seeds in fruit.
What are flowering plants means? ›
flowering plant in American English
noun. a plant that produces flowers, fruit, and seeds; angiosperm.
What are the two main differences between angiosperms and gymnosperms? ›
1. Gymnosperms do not form fruit, angiosperm form fruit. 2. Gymnosperms have naked seeds, angiosperms have enclosed seeds.
What is the difference flowering plants non-flowering plants Class 6? ›
They have seeds and flowers. They do not produce seeds and flowers except for gymnosperms, which are seed-bearing and non-flowering. They are highly evolved with true roots, leaves and stems. Most of the non-flowering plants do not have true roots, leaves or stems.
Both have leaves, stem, and roots. Hint: Both have similar basic parts and structure of the plants, thus making it similar in structure except the flowers because the gymnosperm is found to be more simple as compared to the angiosperm that is more advanced like they produce fruit to protect seed.
How do you identify conifers? ›
Conifers can be identified by the needles, cones and sometimes the color of the bark. Pine needles are in groups of 2, 3 or 5 and are longer than spruce and fir needles. Spruce needles are single needles emanating around the branch and have four sides.
Why is it called conifer? ›
Conifer is a Latin word, a compound of conus (cone) and ferre (to bear), meaning "the one that bears (a) cone(s)".
What are types of conifers called? ›
Conifers have two kinds of cones: female, or seed, cones, and male, or pollen, cones.
What is called conifer? ›
conifer, any member of the division Pinophyta, class Pinopsida, order Pinales, made up of living and fossil gymnospermous plants that usually have needle-shaped evergreen leaves and seeds attached to the scales of a woody bracted cone.
What are conifers give examples? ›
Conifers
What are conifers Class 4? ›
Coniferous trees have leaves which are very thin and in the shape of needles. These trees don't bear flowers but produce cones and hence are called coniferous trees. These trees grow in areas with snowfall. Hence these trees have needle like leaves which do not allow the snow to rest on them.
What are the four types of flowering plants? ›
There are three primary kinds of flowers: Annuals, Perennials, and Biennials. In addition, there is the fourth type of flower that behaves both annuals and perennials like a hybrid. Also there are two more kinds of flowers namely shrub flowers and tree flowers.
What are the main types of flowering plants? ›
Monocotyledons or Monocots: They are basically grass plants and grass-like flowering plants. Dicotyledon or Dicots: Any flowering plant that has a pair of leaves present in the embryo of the seed.
Why is it called a flowering plant? ›
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (/ˌændʒiəˈspɜːrmiː/), commonly called angiosperms.
Flowering plants:-
Angiosperms are the most advanced plants which produce flowers. Hence, angiosperms are called flowering plants. A flower is the characteristic feature of angiosperms and the unit of sexual reproduction. Angiosperms are mainly categorized into two groups viz. monocots and dicots.
What are 2 flowering plants? ›
Flowering plants - Rose and lotus.
What is the characteristics of flowering plants? ›
The flower contains colorful petals and a scent that attracts pollinators. It also contains male and female parts that help produce pollen and eggs. Seeds: Angiosperms produce seeds that will germinate and grow into new plants.
What is one example of a flowering plant? ›
Some examples of flowering plants include the orchids, tulips, lilies, and magnolias. Flowering plants are also called angiosperms and are the most diverse group of plants on earth.
What are 3 differences between gymnosperms and angiosperms? ›
Angiosperms, also called flowering plants, have seeds that are enclosed within an ovary (usually a fruit), while gymnosperms have no flowers or fruits, and have unenclosed or “naked” seeds on the surface of scales or leaves. Gymnosperm seeds are often configured as cones.
What's the difference between angiosperms and conifers? ›
Seed plants that flower are called angiosperms, and their seeds grow inside tissue that is part of the plants' ovaries, more commonly called fruit. Conifers are gymnosperms, and their seeds grow naked, often on the scales of a cone, instead of encased in fruit.
Is Gymnosperm a flowering plant? ›
Gymnosperm seeds are usually formed in unisexual cones, known as strobili, and the plants lack fruits and flowers.
What are flowering plants for Class 6? ›
Flowering Plants: Plants which bear flowers are called flowering plants. Their bodies are divided into roots, stem, leaves and bear flowers and fruits.
What is the main difference between flowering and non flowering plants? ›
The fact that non-flowering plants do not produce flowers or fruits is one of the most significant distinctions between the two types of plants. They do not possess any sieve tubes or partner cells in the phloem, nor do they have any vessels in the xylem.
What is the major difference between flowering and non flowering plants? ›
Flowering plants grow flowers and use seeds to reproduce, or make more plants like them. Nonflowering plants do not grow flowers, and use either seeds or spores, which are very tiny parts of a plant that can be used to reproduce, to grow more plants just like them.
Taxonomists recognize four distinct divisions of extant (nonextinct) gymnospermous plants—Pinophyta, Cycadophyta, Ginkgophyta, and Gnetophyta—with 88 genera and more than 1,000 species distributed throughout the world.
What are five examples of gymnosperms? ›
By far the largest group of living gymnosperms are the conifers (pines, cypresses, and relatives), followed by cycads, gnetophytes (Gnetum, Ephedra and Welwitschia), and Ginkgo biloba (a single living species).
What do conifers and flowering plants have in common? ›
Similarities Between Flowering Plants and Conifers
Flowering plants and conifers are the two groups of higher plants on the land. Both are vascular plants whose plant body is differentiated into stem, root, and leaves. Moreover, they undergo the alteration of generations with a prominent sporophyte.
Are conifers non flowering plants? ›
Non-flowering plants include mosses, liverworts, hornworts, lycophytes and ferns and reproduce by spores. Some non-flowering plants, called gymnosperms or conifers, still produce seeds.
What are the similarities and differences between a cone and a flower? ›
Answer and Explanation:
| Cone | Flower |
|---|
| After maturation, the cones have a woody texture, made up of scales and elongated. | After maturation, the flower has colorful petals and sepals and both the male(stamen) and female(pistil) are developed. |
2 more rowsPrevious studies have suggested that flowering plants may have outcompeted conifers due to advantages such as rapid growth, varied reproductive systems such as insect pollination, new chemical defense systems and tolerance to climatic stress.
What are the characteristics of a coniferous plant? ›
All but 15 types of conifers are evergreen, one of the familiar characteristics of this group of plants. They grow with a straight, central trunk bearing circles of horizontal branches, and the branching may become increasing complex as the tree gets older. Conifers also have a wide variety of distinctive bark.
Why do flowering plants produce less pollen than conifers? ›
Answer and Explanation: Angiosperms make less pollen than gymnosperms because they relying on pollinating insects as well as wind to distribute their pollen. Gymnosperms rely on just wind.
What is a flowering plant definition? ›
a plant that produces flowers, fruit, and seeds; angiosperm.
What are examples of flowering plants? ›
Flowering plant
Conifers have both male (staminate) flowers (called catkins), and female (ovulate) flowers. In most cases (pines, spruce, fir, etc.)
How is conifer different from other groups of non flowering plants? ›
In comparison to flowering plants, conifers do not produce flowers. The reproductive structures of conifers are the unsexual cones. More significantly, the seed of conifers is not covered by the ovary. Hence , they not produce a fruit.
How are conifers and ferns alike and different? ›
Ferns and mosses are different from conifers in their methods of reproduction, as ferns and mosses reproduce by using spores and conifers reproduce by using cones. Conifers are plants and trees that have needles instead of leaves and produce cones.
What are two examples of conifers? ›
Conifers are a group of trees and shrubs, for example pine trees and fir trees, that grow in cooler areas of the world. They have fruit called cones, and very thin leaves called needles which they do not normally lose in winter.
What are types of conifers? ›
Conifers
