Different Kinds of Plants

Annual, Perennial and Biennial plants Annuals Plants that live for one year or less are categorized into annuals. In short, annuals are seasonal flowering plants that bear flowers only for three to four months. Cultivated through seeds, annuals grow, bloom, make more seeds, and die; the entire cycle being carried out in one years time. These plants generally find their place in gardens as they add color, effect, and change the entire layout. Examples: Asters, dianthus, bachelor button, phlox, balsam, basil, cosmos, petunia, marigold, salvias, watermelon, pea and lettuce.

Watermelon

Asters

Marigold

Biennials Biennials are plants that last for two years. Their cycle of growing from seed to fruition, including blooming and death, takes place over a period of two years. Just like annuals, biennials are also seasonal flowering plants, though they flower only during the second year of planting. Some biennials are shortlived perennials. Examples: Foxglove, Echium wildpretti, parsely, carrot, celery, and mustard.

Carrots

Mustard

Foxglove

Perennials The perennial has been derived from the Latin term perennis, which means many years. Flowering plants that live for years and bear flowers season after season are called perennials. These plants, once planted, need not be replanted every year. Most of them start bearing flowers after two years when they are old enough to bloom. However, if you wish to change the layout of your garden frequently or occasionally, perennials should not be your pick.

Examples: Bleeding heart, water lily, gerbera, geranium, anthurium, spearmint, sage, borage, sweet potato, tomato and gingerroot.

Water Lily

Bleeding Heart

Tomato

Epiphytic Plants They depend on other plants for support growing on trunks and branches. They are also dubbed air plants. Though they are not parasitic, they can be deleterious to their hosts. They have an advantage over plants growing on the ground as they have a relatively better access to sunlight. They obtain nutrients from the air or water around them. They use photosynthesis for the process of nutrition. Examples: Mosses and orchids

Pitcher Plants They are carnivorous plants. Pitcher plant is also called a meat eater. They normally grow in marshlands, bogs and areas of waterlogged, acidic and nitrogen poor soil. They get their nitrogen intake by eating insects. They usually bear a single, large and nodding flower. The insect traps of a pitcher plant can be quite large and attractive. The inside of the tubular shaped leaf is lined with downward pointing hairs, which block an insect from climbing up the tube and escaping. The fluid in the bottom of the tube contains digestive juices that will ingest the insect prey. They will also consume small frogs and occasionally mice and small birds. They can also absorb nutrients through their root systems.

Desert Plants These plants are adapted to the arid and hostile environment of a desert. These plants have the capability to store water. They also have the ability to use water efficiently. They usually have few or no leaves, which greatly reduce transpiration. Desert perennial species survive by being dormant during dry periods of the year. They spring to life when water becomes available. Plant species like cacti and succulents, have dense flesh which is capable of storing large amounts of water. Several plants have developed the typical spikes and spines to prevent them from being eaten by animals.

Shrubs Flowering shrubs are those that flower almost throughout the year and will have bushy shape and size. Flowering shrubs provide a long-lived, low-fuss, eye-fetching framework in any garden design. And their rich array of form, foliage, fruit, and flowers can yield year-round rewards. Examples: Mosanda, Pentas, Ixora, Hibiscus, Lantana

Pentas

Ixora

Mosanda

Ornamental shrubs : Ornamentals are those which will not flower but are best for their evergreen foliage, shapes and ornamental look. These can be trimmed or trained into various shapes and sizes. Examples: Juniperus, Tuja compacta, Eranthemum, Aralia, Acalypha Hispida, and Crotons

Crotons

Juniperus

Tuja compacta

Flowering and Ornamental Trees Tress can be flowering trees, fruit trees, shade trees, ornamentals etc. Some attractive dwarf/medium height flowering trees or ornamental trees would be ideal for a home garden. Like, Cornus Florida (Flowering Dogwood), Magnolia, Hydrangea Paniculata, Cassia fistula, Jacaranda, Tecoma argentea, Cassia javanica etc. Trees take a number of years to mature. Shade trees and ornamentals grow on a framework of older branches and need only infrequent maintenance pruning. Flowering trees can be pruned after flowering or fruition.

Creepers & Climbers Creepers : These plants can be grown along the top of the compound wall or as a cover for walls, or at the entrance as an arch. Examples: Bignonia venusta, allamanda, passiflora (fashion flower), Jacquemontia, Bougainvilleas

Bougainvilleas

Bignonia venusta

Allamanda

Climbers : These are the plants with soft stems that grow only with a support. They rely on something else for support; another plant, a wall or trellis. Different types of climbers have devised many crafty ways to hold on to whatever they grasp. Examples are Clerodendrum thomsoniae (Bleeding Heart), Cissus rhombifolia (Grape Ivy), Jasminum multipartitum (Starry Wild Jasmine), Clematis montana (Clematis) etc.

Bleeding heart

Grape Ivy

Bulbs Bulbs are specific stem structures that are planted beneath the soil and always stay underground. The roots grow downwards from the bulb, while the stem and the leaves move upwards. Bulb plants grow, flower, the leaves remain for some time and disappear for the next complete year. Common examples are daffodils, tulips, and bluebells. Bulbs are further categorized into real bulbs, corms, and tubers and tuberous roots. Real bulbs are created in layers with an outer scale, such as onion, tulip, and lily. Corms appear to be bulbs from outside though they have a different structure within, such as crocus and gladiolus. Tubers and tuberous roots bear stems or roots that store food. Examples include potato, dahlia, and tuberous begonia.

Tulips

Bluebells

Daffodils

Plants in Different Habitats

Hydrophytes (Aquatic Plants) Aquatic plants or Hydrophytes are plants which grow in regions where there is plenty of water like, ponds, lake, river, and marshes or in wet soils. The aquatic habitats can be further classified in to fresh water habitat, sea or marine habitat, lentic habitats includes lakes and ponds, lotic habitat includes

streams and rivers experience. The plants experiences several physical factors and have developed several adaptation accordingly to survive in these habitats. The factors which affect the plants in these habitats are availability of O2 and light, pressure fluctuations in water, resistance against moving water, altered salt concentration, etc. Plants living in aquatic habitats includes, free floating hydrophytes, floating but rooted hydrophytes, submerged hydrophytes (floating and rooted), and amphibious hydrophytes. Examples: Eichhornia, Pistia, Wolffia, Lemna Victoria regia, Nymphaea, Nelumbium, Marsilea, Ceratophyllum, Utricularia, Hydrilla, Vallisneria, Potamogeton, Limnophylla heterophylla, Typha, Sagittaria.

Nelumbium Xerophytes

Eichhornia

Plants, which grow in xeric conditions or dry habitats, are called xerophytes. Xeric habitats are the places where available water is not present in adequate quantity. Xeric habitats are further classified into three types physically dry habitats (Desert, Rock surface), physiologically dry habitats, and physically and physiologically dry habitat (Slopes of mountains). Plants in dry habitats are generally classified into three types namely Drought escaping plants (Drought evaders), Drought Enduring Xerophytes (Succulents), and Drought resisting plants (Non- succulent perennial) Examples: Solanum xanthocarpum, Argemone mexicana, Cassia tora, Agave, Aloe, Euphorbia, Opuntia, Asparagus, Opuntia.

Asparagus

Cassia Tora

Mesophytes (Terrestrial Plant) Common land plants are known as mesophytes, they grow in situations which are neither too wet nor too dry. These plants cannot grow in habitats of more water or they survive in dry places. Mesophytes survive in habitats like forests habitat, grassland habitat, crop land habitats, meadows etc. Mesophytes are classified into two main community groups, namely, communities of grasses and herbs and communities of woody plants. Aerial Plants Aerial Plants are plants that live in air or wind the wind serves as the water of the plants. Epiphytic plants are also known as air plants and staghorn ferns, orchids and bromeliads are the most well known.

Bromeliads

Staghorn Ferns

Litophytes Lithophytes are a type of plant that grows in or on rocks. Lithophytes feed off moss, nutrients in rain water, litter, and even their own dead tissue. Examples of lithophytes include several Paphiopedilum orchids, the pitcher plant, Nepenthes campanulata, and several Utricularia species.

Nepenthes

Utricularia

Spore Bearing Plants

Algae, mosses, ferns and their genus all reproduce by means of spores. These are minute and are formed inside the sporangia that look like fine powder. Each spore contains a small quantity of vital genetic matter in a compact sheathe.

Algae
The simplest plant of this type is algae. They do not have leaves, stems or roots. Algae thrive in a moist or wet environment. Many are tiny single celled plants, but some seaweeds are huge.

Mosses Mosses and most liverworts have simple stems and tiny, slender leaves. They can be found growing on the plain land, on rocks, and on other plants. They habitually live in mild, damp regions, but some can live in very cold places.

Ferns Ferns are the most superior spore bearing type of plants. Many ferns grow in cool, dry places but the largest ones are found in the hot, damp tropic regions. Around 15,000 species of ferns are there in existence now according to scientific researches

Flowering plants
Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe or leaf-like bract. Also known as the Arum family, members are often colloquially known as aroid. Asteraceae or Compositae, (the aster, daisy, or sunflower family), comprise the largest family of vascular plants. Most members of Asteraceae are herbaceous, but a significant number are also shrubs, vines and trees.Many economically important products come from composites, including cooking oils, lettuce, sunflower seeds, artichokes, sweetening agents, and teas. Several genera are also very popular

with the horticultural community, these include marigolds, chrysanthemums, dahlias, zinnias, and heleniums. Begoniaceae is a family of flowering plants. All but one of the species are in the genus Begonia. The only other genus in the family, Hillebrandia, is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and has a single species. Phylogenetic work supports Hillebrandia as the sister taxon to the rest of the family. The genus Symbegonia has recently been reduced to a section of Begonia as recent molecular phylogenies have shown it to be derived from within that genus. Members of the genus Begonia are well-known and popular houseplants. Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. While sedges may be found growing in all kinds of situations, many are associated with wetlands, or with poor soils. Features distinguishing members of the sedge family from grasses or rushes are that members of the sedge family have stems with triangular crosssections, and their leaves are spirally arranged in three ranks (grasses have alternate leaves forming two ranks).Some well-known sedges include the water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) and the papyrus sedge (Cyperus papyrus), from which the Ancient Egyptian writing material was made. This family also includes cotton-grass (Eriophorum), spike-rush (Eleocharis), sawgrass (Cladium), nutsedge or nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus, a common lawn weed), the large genus of Carex, and white star sedge (Rhynchospora colorata). Ericaceae, the heath family or the heather family is a plant family, comprising mostly calcifuges (limehating) plants that thrive in acidic soils. Many well-known plants of the Ericaceae live in temperate climates, such as cranberry, blueberry, various heaths and heathers (Erica, Cassiope, Daboecia, Calluna vulgaris etc.), huckleberry, azalea and rhododendron. The Ericaceae consists of herbs, dwarf shrubs, shrubs and trees with leaves that are usually alternate or whorled, simple and without stipules, and hermaphrodite flowers. Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti. The Fabaceae (or Leguminosae) are a large and economically important family of flowering plants, which is commonly known as the legume family, pea family, bean family or pulse family. The largest genera are Astragalus with more than 2,000 species, Acacia with more than 900 species, and Indigofera with around 700 species. Other large genera include Crotalaria with 600 species and Mimosa with 500 species.The species of this family are found throughout the world, growing in many different environments and climates. A number are important agricultural plants, including: Glycine max(soybean), Phaseolus (beans), Pisum sativum (pea), Cicer arietinum (chickpeas), Medicago sativa (alfalfa), Arachis hypogaea (peanut), Ceratonia siliqua(carob), and Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), which are among the best known members of Fabaceae. A number of species are also weedy pests in different parts of the world, including: Cytisus scoparius (broom) and Pueraria lobata (kudzu), and a number of Lupinus species.

Lamiaceae or Labiatae, also known as the mint family, is a family of flowering plants. The plants are frequently aromatic in all parts and include many widely used culinary herbs, such as basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, thyme, lavender, and perilla. Melastomataceae (alternatively Melastomaceae) is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics. Melastomes are annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, or small trees. The leaves of melastomes are somewhat distinctive, being opposite, decussate, and usually with 3-7 longitudinal veins arising either from the base of the blade, plinerved (inner veins diverging above base of blade), or pinnately nerved with three or more pairs of primary veins diverging from the mid-vein at successive points above the base. Flowers are perfect, and borne either singly or in terminal or axillary, paniculate cymes. A number of melastomes are regarded as invasive species once naturalized in tropical and subtropical environments outside of their normal range. Examples are Koster's curse and Miconia calvescens, but many other species are involved. Moraceae often called the mulberry family or fig family are a family of flowering plants comprising about 40 genera and over 1000 species. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates. Included are well-known plants such as the fig, banyan, breadfruit, mulberry, and Osage-orange. Orchidaceae, usually referred to as the orchid family. The family also includes Vanilla (the genus of the vanilla plant), Orchis (type genus) and many commonly cultivated plants, such as Phalaenopsis and Cattleya. The Oxalidaceae, or wood sorrel family, are a small family of eight genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs and small trees, with the great majority of the 900 species in the genus Oxalis (wood sorrels). Members of this family typically have divided leaves, the leaflets showing "sleep movements", spreading open in light and closing in darkness. Phyllanthaceae is a family of flowering plants in the eudicot order Malpighiales. Some species of Andrachne, Antidesma, Margaritaria, and Phyllanthus are in cultivation. A few species of Antidesma, Baccaurea, Phyllanthus, and Uapaca provide edible fruit. Some of the genera are poorly defined, and the number of genera in the family is likely to change as the classification is further refined. The genus Phyllanthus, one of the largest genera of flowering plants, with over 1200 species, has more than half of the species in the family. The Piperaceae, also known as the pepper family, is a large family of flowering plants. The group contains roughly 3,610 currently accepted species in five genera. The vast majority of peppers can be found within the two main genera: Piper (2000 species) and Peperomia (1600 species). Rosaceae (the rose family) are a medium-sized family of flowering plants, including about 2830 species in 95 genera. The name is derived from the type genus Rosa. Among the largest genera are Alchemilla (270), Sorbus (260), Crataegus (260), Cotoneaster (260), and Rubus (250). The largest genus by far is Prunus (plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds) with about 430 species. However, all of these numbers should be seen as underestimates - much taxonomic work is left to be done here. Roses can be herbs, shrubs or trees. Most species are deciduous, but some are evergreen. Several economically important products come from Rosaceae, including many edible fruits (such as apples, apricots, plums,

cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, and strawberries), almonds, and ornamental trees and shrubs (such as roses, meadowsweets, photinias, firethorns, rowans, and hawthorns). Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the madder family, bedstraw family or coffee family. Other common plants included are gardenia, cinchona (whose bark contains quinine), sweet woodruff, partridgeberry, gambier, ixora, and noni. Species are concentrated in warmer and tropical climates around the world. Solanaceae are a family of flowering plants that include a number of important agricultural crops as well as many toxic plants. The family is also informally known as the nightshade - or potato family. The family includes Datura (Jimson weed), Mandragora (mandrake), belladonna (deadly nightshade), Lycium barbarum (Wolfberry), Physalis philadelphica (Tomatillo) , Physalis peruviana (Cape gooseberry flower), Capsicum (paprika, chili pepper), Solanum (potato, tomato, eggplant), Nicotiana (tobacco), and Petunia.

Examples of Flowering Plants FAMILY GENUS Pictures

ARACEAE (Arum Family)

Anthurium

ASTERACEAE (aster, daisy, or

sunflower family)

Vernonia

BEGONIACEAE

Begonia

CYPERACEAE (sedges)

Carex

ERICACEAE (Heath or Heather Family)

Erica

EUPHORBIACEAE (Spurge Family)

Euphorbia

FABACEAE (Legume Family)

Astragalus

LAMIACEAE (Mint Family)

Salvia

MELASTOMATACEAE

Miconia

MORACEAE (Fig Family)

Ficus

ORCHIDACEAE (Orchid Family)

Dendrobium

OXALIDACEAE (Wood Sorrel Family)

Oxalis

PHYLLANTHACEAE

Phyllanthus

PIPERACEAE (Pepper Family)

Peperomia

ROSACEAE (Rose Family)

Rosa

RUBIACEAE (Madder Family)

Psychotria

SOLANACEAE (Nightshade or Potato Family)

Solanum