Non-vascular plant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Non-vascular plant |
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| A thallose liverwort, Lunularia cruciata | |
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Non-vascular plants
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Simple nonvascular plants |
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Non-vascular plants are a special group of plants. Unlike most plants you know, they don't have a system of tubes to carry water and nutrients. This system is called a vascular system.
Think of it like a plant's plumbing! Because they don't have this plumbing, they usually stay small. They also often live in damp places.
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What Are Non-Vascular Plants?
Most plants have special tissues called xylem and phloem. Xylem carries water from the roots up to the leaves. Phloem carries food (sugars) made in the leaves to other parts of the plant.
Non-vascular plants do not have these tissues. This means they don't have true roots, stems, or leaves. These parts always contain vascular tissue. Instead, non-vascular plants absorb water and nutrients directly through their surfaces. Some of them have other simple tissues to move water around.
Types of Non-Vascular Plants
The term "non-vascular plant" is a general way to describe these plants. Scientists don't use it for official biological classification anymore. This is because non-vascular plants include two very different groups.
Bryophytes: Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts
This group includes:
- The Bryophyta (mosses)
- The Marchantiophyta (liverworts)
- The Anthocerotophyta (hornworts)
These plants are often small. They grow close to the ground in moist areas. Because they don't have water-carrying tissues, they can't grow as tall or as complex as most vascular plants. They rely on water being present around them to survive and reproduce.
Algae: Green Algae
In the past, all algae were considered non-vascular plants. However, recent studies show that algae are actually many different groups. Most algae are not closely related to land plants.
Only the green algae are still considered relatives of land plants. They share some common features with land plants. Other algae and fungi were once grouped with plants. Now we know they are very different living things.
Images for kids
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Algae are a type of non-vascular plant.
See also
In Spanish: Planta no vascular para niños
