Classification of Plants – Class 9 Science Question & Answers (Maharashtra Board)
Match the proper terms from columns A and C with the description in column B.
| 'A' | 'B' | 'C' |
|---|---|---|
| Thallophyta | Seeds are formed in fruits. | Fern |
| Bryophyta | No natural covering on seeds. | Cycas |
| Pteridophyta | These plants mainly grow in water. | Tamarind |
| Gymnosperms | These plants need water for reproduction. | Moss |
| Angiosperms | Tissues are present for conduction of water and food | Algae |
Answer (Correctly Matched Table)
| Column A (Division) | Column B (Description) | Column C (Example) |
|---|---|---|
| Thallophyta | These plants mainly grow in water. | Algae |
| Bryophyta | These plants need water for reproduction. | Moss |
| Pteridophyta | Tissues are present for conduction of water and food. | Fern |
| Gymnosperms | No natural covering on seeds. | Cycas |
| Angiosperms | Seeds are formed in fruits. | Tamarind |
Complete the sentences by filling in the blanks and explain those statements.
(angiosperms, gymnosperms, spore, bryophyta, thallophyta, zygote)
a. ................…. plants have soft and fibre-like body.
Answer Thallophyta
Explanation: Thallophytes primarily grow in moist or aquatic habitats. Their body structure is simple, soft, and thallus-like without true differentiation into roots, stems, or leaves.
Thallophyta (Algae): Spirogyra, Ulothrix, Chara and Ulva
b. ................…. is called the 'amphibian' of the plant kingdom.
Answer Bryophyta
Explanation: Although bryophytes grow in moist soil, they depend heavily on water to complete their fertilization and reproductive cycle, earning them the title of amphibians of the plant world.
c. In pteridophytes, asexual reproduction occurs by ................…. formation and sexual reproduction occurs by ................…. formation.
Answer spore, zygote
Explanation: Pteridophytes reproduce asexually by producing spores along the back of their leaves and sexually through the fusion of gametes leading to a zygote.
d. Male and female flowers of ................….are borne on different sporophylls of the same plant.
Answer gymnosperms
Explanation: Gymnosperms do not produce true flowers; instead, they bear separate male and female reproductive cones (sporophylls) on the same plant body.
Answer the following questions in your own words.
a. Write the characteristics of subkingdom Phanerogams.
- Answer Phanerogams are plants that possess well-developed reproductive structures and produce seeds. They contain specialized vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) that transport water and nutrients across the plant body. Their seeds contain an embryo along with stored food to nurture the young seedling during germination.
b. Distinguish between monocots and dicots.
Answer
Monocots: Seeds contain only one cotyledon (e.g., maize, wheat). Their leaves feature parallel venation, they have a fibrous root system, and floral parts are usually in multiples of three.
Dicots: Seeds contain two cotyledons (e.g., bean, groundnut). Their leaves feature reticulate (net-like) venation, they possess a taproot system, and floral parts are in fours or fives.
c. Write a paragraph in your own words about the ornamental plants called ferns.
- Answer Ferns are fascinating vascular plants belonging to the division Pteridophyta, widely admired for their lush green, feathery fronds that make them popular ornamental choices for gardens and homes. They have true roots, stems, and leaves with efficient water-conducting tissues, but they do not bear flowers or seeds. Instead, they reproduce through spores clustered neatly on the underside of their leaves.
d. Sketch, label and describe the Spirogyra.
Answer
Description: Spirogyra is a simple, filamentous green alga that thrives in freshwater ponds and pools. It forms slippery, unbranched green threads.
Key Structural Features to Label: Cell wall, spiral ribbon-like chloroplasts containing pyrenoids, prominent central vacuole, and nucleus.
e. Write the characteristics of the plants belonging to division Bryophyta.
- Answer Bryophytes are simple terrestrial plants that lack true roots, stems, and leaves, though they may feature hair-like root structures called rhizoids. They do not possess vascular tissues for transporting water. They require external water for sexual reproduction, and their main plant body is flat and thalloid.
Sketch and label the figures of the following plants and explain them into brief:
(Marchantia, Funaria, Fern, Spirogyra)
Answer
Marchantia: A flat, ribbon-like, dichotomously branched liverwort belonging to Bryophyta that hugs damp soil using delicate rhizoids.
Funaria: A small moss featuring an erect leafy axis attached to the ground by rhizoids, topped with a capsule stalk that releases spores.
Fern: A vascular cryptogam with well-defined roots, underground stems, and large compound leaves (fronds) bearing spore clusters.
Spirogyra: A filamentous green alga characterized by its microscopic thread-like body containing distinct spiral chloroplasts.
Collect a monocot and dicot plant available in your area. Observe the plants carefully and describe them in scientific language.
Answer
Monocot Specimen (e.g., Grass): Displays a fibrous root system spreading shallowly in the soil, narrow leaves with parallel venation, and a soft herbaceous stem.
Dicot Specimen (e.g., Hibiscus or Bean): Displays a prominent central taproot system going deep into the soil, broad leaves featuring reticulate venation, and a sturdy woody or semi-woody stem structure.
Which criteria are used for the classification of plants? Explain with reasons.
Answer Plants are systematically classified based on several key biological criteria:
Presence of organs: Whether the plant body has differentiated structures like roots, stems, and leaves.
Vascular tissues: Whether specialized conducting tissues (xylem and phloem) are present to transport water and food across the plant.
Seed production: Whether the plant bears seeds (Phanerogams) or reproduces via spores (Cryptogams).
Encasement of seeds: Whether seeds are enclosed inside fruits (Angiosperms) or remain naked on cones (Gymnosperms).
Cotyledon count: Whether seeds contain a single cotyledon (Monocots) or two cotyledons (Dicots).