CINXE.COM
Plants Portal | Britannica
<!doctype html> <html lang="en" class="topicbrowse-desktop ui-ie7 ui-ie"> <head prefix="og: https://ogp.me/ns# fb: https://ogp.me/ns/fb#"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130"> <link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js" /> <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.png" /> <meta name="description" content="Life on Earth owes much to plants. The vast majority of plants carry out photosynthesis to transform light energy into chemical energy, which is the way that virtually all energy in the biosphere becomes..." /> <meta name="keywords" content="Plants, LinkListWithTitle[title=Link{text='Cereals, Fruits, Nuts & Vegetables', url='/browse/Cereals-Fruits-Nuts-Vegetables'}, description=null, links=[Link{text='peanut', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/peanut'}, Link{text='avocado', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/avocado'}, Link{text='tomato', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/tomato'}]], LinkListWithTitle[title=Link{text='Conifers & Other Gymnosperms', url='/browse/Conifers-Gymnosperms'}, description=null, links=[Link{text='pine', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/pine'}, Link{text='cypress', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/cypress'}, Link{text='juniper', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/juniper'}]], LinkListWithTitle[title=Link{text='Ferns & Other Lower Vascular Plants', url='/browse/Ferns-Lower-Vascular-Plants'}, description=null, links=[Link{text='club moss', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/club-moss'}, Link{text='fern', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/fern'}, Link{text='bracken', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/bracken'}]], LinkListWithTitle[title=Link{text='Flowering Plants', url='/browse/Flowering-Plants'}, description=null, links=[Link{text='eudicotyledon', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/eudicotyledon'}, Link{text='angiosperm', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/angiosperm'}, Link{text='wildflower', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/wildflower'}]], LinkListWithTitle[title=Link{text='Nonvascular Plants', url='/browse/Nonvascular-Plants'}, description=null, links=[Link{text='leafy liverwort', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/leafy-liverwort'}, Link{text='hornwort', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/hornwort'}, Link{text='peat moss', url='https://www.britannica.com/plant/peat-moss'}]]" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.britannica.com/browse/Plants" /> <title>Plants Portal | Britannica</title> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel"> window.$UI = {}; window.Constants = {"LICENSE_URL": "/bps/license","DEFAULT_TEST_VERSION": "A","DEFAULT_STATE": "XX","QUIZ_URL": "/quiz","SPOTLIGHT_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/spotlight","CONTENT_TYPE_TEXT": "text/plain;charset=UTF-8","TOPIC_FACTS_DATA_URL": "/facts","QUIZ_BROWSE_IMAGE_QUIZZES": "images","TOPIC_MEDIA_PATH": "/images-videos","USER_PROFILE_URL": "/user","DEBUG_URL": "/debug","ONE_GOOD_FACT_URL": "/one-good-fact","ERROR_404_URL": "/error404","PROCON_CITED_IN_THE_NEWS_URL": "/procon/ProCon-in-the-News","PROCON_URL": "/procon","TOPIC_PAGE_CONTENT_AJAX_URL": "/topic-content/page","INFINITE_SCROLL_PREFIX_URL": "/scroll","TOPIC_TOP_QUESTION_BROWSE_URL": "/questions","CC_USD": "USD","domain": "britannica.com","SURVEY_URL": "/survey","CATEGORY_BROWSE_URL": "/browse","STORY_BROWSE_URL": "/stories","COUNTRY_US": "US","OPEN_MEDIA_OVERLAY_PARAMETER": "/media","NEWSLETTER_SUBSCRIPTION_URL": "/newsletter-subscription","MAINTENANCE_ERROR_URL": "https://maintenance.eb.com","IMARS_EDITOR_ID": "12365882","PROFILE_EB_EDITOR_URL": "/editor","WEB_INF_RESOURCES_PATH": "WEB-INF/resources","AI_ABOUT_PAGE_URL": "/about-britannica-ai","TOPIC_ADDITIONAL_INFO_PATH": "/additional-info","SUDOKU_GAME_URL": "/games/sudoku","CC_INR": "INR","ARTICLE_PRINT_URL": "/print/article","FIRST_EDITION_URL": "/subscriber/firstedition","WW1_PORTAL_URL": "/discover/World-War-I","MENDEL_COOKIE": "__mendel","DEMYSTIFIED_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/demystified","LIST_BROWSE_URL": "/list/browse","PROFILE_EXPERT_URL": "/contributor","ASSEMBLY_IMAGE_URL": "/image/assembly","DAY_IN_HISTORY_URL": "/on-this-day","DEFAULT_CURRENCY": "USD","CONTENT_TYPE_XML": "text/xml;charset=UTF-8","PORTAL_FINANCE_BROWSE_URL_PREFIX": "/money/browse","MONEY_IMARS_CATEGORY": "13000","AJAX_PREFIX_URL": "/ajax","TOPIC_BROWSE_URL": "/topic-browse","MARKETING_CONTENT": "/marketing-content","ENV_RUNTIME": "runtime","GALLERY_URL": "/gallery","topicUrlClassesList": "topic|animal|art|biography|event|place|plant|science|sports|technology|procon","CONTENT_TYPE_HTML": "text/html;charset=UTF-8","ENV_LOCAL": "override","MEDIA_OVERLAY_URL": "/media-overlay","CHATBOT_PAGE_URL": "/chatbot","NEWSLETTER_PAGE_URL": "/newsletters","ENV_DEV": "development","MEDIA_URL": "/media","TOPIC_TOP_QUESTION_URL": "/question","PORTAL_FINANCE_URL_PREFIX": "/money","PODCASTS_URL": "/podcasts","STAND_ALONE_VIDEO_URL": "/video","MORE_ON_THIS_DAY_URL": "/more-on-this-day","TOPIC_QUOTES_URL": "/quotes","SEARCH_PAGE_URL": "/search","PROCON_CLASS": "PROCON","KUSTOM_MENDEL_APPLICATION_ID": "1","TOPIC_CONTENT_AJAX_URL": "/topic-content/topic","ENV_BRANCH": "branch","ERROR_URL": "/error","MAIN_VERSION": "mainVersion","DEFAULT_S3_REGION": "US_EAST_1","TOPIC_COLLECTION_URL": "/summary","LOGINBOX_URL": "/auth/loginbox","ONE_GOOD_FACT_BROWSE_URL": "/one-good-fact/all-good-facts","QUIZ_BROWSE_URL": "/quiz/browse","BIO_BROWSE_URL": "/browse/biographies","LIST_URL": "/list","TIGHTROPE_QUIZ_URL": "/quiz/tightrope","ALPHA_BROWSE_URL": "/sitemap","CONTENT_TYPE_JSON": "application/json","DICTIONARY_URL": "/dictionary","COBRAND_IMAGE_URL": "/image/cobrand","PROCON_IN_THE_NEWS_URL": "/procon/pro-and-con-issues-in-the-news","PROCON_BROWSE_URL": "/procon","QUIZ_BROWSE_VOCAB_QUIZZES": "vocabulary-quizzes","SUBMISSION_URL": "/submission","EB_LOG_OUT": "/auth2/logout","ENV_PRODUCTION": "production","EXPLORE_PORTAL_URL": "/explore","TOPIC_AJAX_URL": "/ajax/topic","TOPIC_SUMMARY_BROWSE_URL": "/summaries","WTFACT_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/wtfact","VIDEO_CHANNEL_URL": "/videos","GALLERY_BROWSE_URL": "/gallery/browse","CACHE_URL": "/cache","PROCON_ABOUT_URL": "/procon/About-ProCon","COMPANION_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/companion","MEDIA_FOLDER": "/eb-media","SHOW_ALL_CONTRIBUTORS": "/additional-info#contributors","BRITANNICA_EDITORS_ID": "4419","ENV_CACHE_DISABLED": "mendelCache","CALCULATORS_BROWSE_URL": "/calculators","STORY_URL": "/story","DEFAULT_COUNTRY": "US","NAVBAR_URL": "/ajax/navbar","EB_LOGIN_URL": "/auth/eb-login","NEW_ARTICLES_URL": "/new-articles",}; window.CDN = "https://cdn.britannica.com"; window.CAM_LOGIN_URL = "https://cam.britannica.com"; window.CAM_SIGN_UP_URL = "https://cam.britannica.com/registration" window.Mendel = { "config" : { "domain": "britannica.com", "page": "TopicBrowse", "videoPlayerId": "UyMCoK2v", "sharedUrl": "https://www.britannica.com/browse/Plants", "amuselabsUrl": "https://cdn3.amuselabs.com", "resourcesPrefixUrl": "https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/[url]?v=3.130.14", "date": 20241123, "userInfo": { "type": "ANONYMOUS" ,"currency": "AUUS" ,"country": "SG" ,"state": "XX" ,"timezone": "Asia/Singapore" ,"bcomId": "3553644082745616927" ,"hasAds": true ,"testVersion": "B" ,"adsTestVersion": "B" ,"consumerId": "" ,"instId": "" ,"consumerUserName": "" ,"instUserName": "" ,"cognito": null }, "tvs":{ "r":[25,25,25,25], "a": [25,25,25,25]}, "isLoggedInAsUser": false, "isPhone": false, "isDesktop": true, "logoutUrl": "/auth2/logout", "selfServiceUrl": "https://myaccount.britannica.com", "cdnUrl": "https://cdn.britannica.com", "chatbotApi": "https://www.britannica.com/chat-api", "fetchOffset": 800, "mendelCookieName": "__mendel", "mendelCookie": {"surveyShown":false,"visitedTopicId":0,"currentDate":20241123}, "autocompleteToSearchPage": false,"categoryId": 1048 }, "GA": {"leg":"B","adLeg":"B","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"TopicBrowse","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} }; </script> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="1887621861548296"/ <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@britannica" /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/images/social/eb-thistle-social-image.jpg?v=3.130.14" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Life on Earth owes much to plants. The vast majority of plants carry out photosynthesis to transform light energy into chemical energy, which is the way that virtually all energy in the biosphere becomes..."/> <meta property="og:type" content="WEBSITE"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Plants Portal | Britannica"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Life on Earth owes much to plants. The vast majority of plants carry out photosynthesis to transform light energy into chemical energy, which is the way that virtually all energy in the biosphere becomes..."/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Encyclopedia Britannica" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.britannica.com/browse/Plants"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/images/social/eb-thistle-social-image.jpg?v=3.130.14" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="" /> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="init opengraph"> Mendel.openGraph = {"type":"WEBSITE","title":"Plants Portal","description":"Life on Earth owes much to plants. The vast majority of plants carry out photosynthesis to transform light energy into chemical energy, which is the way that virtually all energy in the biosphere becomes...","imageUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/images/social/eb-thistle-social-image.jpg?v=3.130.14","pageUrl":"https://www.britannica.com/browse/Plants"}</script> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/" > <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/icon?family=Material+Icons"> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/vendor-bundle.css?v=3.130.14" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/mendel-css.css?v=3.130.14" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-browse-page.css?v=3.130.14" rel="stylesheet" /> <script type="text/javascript"> if (self !== top) { top.location = self.location; } // if ('scrollRestoration' in history) { history.scrollRestoration = 'manual'; } </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/at.js?v=3.130.14" async ></script> <script> dataLayer = []; </script> <script type="text/javascript">(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= '//www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-5W6NC8'); </script> </head> <body data-leg="B" class="subcategories-browse user-ANONYMOUS user-ads md-desktop leg-bb-ie"> <!--- assertive yield ---> <script>Mendel.config.adProvider='ay';</script> <script async src="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js"></script> <script> window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/15510053/CMP_1x1', [1, 1], 'div-gpt-ad-1709766812090-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <script async defer src="https://launchpad-wrapper.privacymanager.io/0ccc6fe8-1870-4ad8-b47b-6d029ac116fc/launchpad-liveramp.js"></script> <script async src="https://JRyhoywLYXNLYMAhs.ay.delivery/manager/JRyhoywLYXNLYMAhs" type="text/javascript" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" ></script><div class="ie-warning d-flex align-items-center align-self-center justify-content-center site-alert bg-orange"> <div> You are using an <strong>outdated</strong> browser. Please <a class="text-white text-underscore" href="https://browsehappy.com/">upgrade your browser</a> to improve your experience and security. </div> </div> <script id="json-navbar-info" type="application/json"> {"topSectionLinks":[{"title":"Ask the Chatbot","url":"/chatbot","navbarId":"CHATBOT"},{"title":"Games & Quizzes","url":"/quiz/browse","navbarId":"QUIZZES"},{"title":"ProCon","url":"/procon","navbarId":"PROCON"},{"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society","navbarId":"HISTORY"},{"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech","navbarId":"SCIENCE"},{"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies","navbarId":"BIOS"},{"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature","selected":true,"navbarId":"ANIMALS"},{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel","navbarId":"GEOGRAPHY"},{"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture","navbarId":"ART"},{"title":"Money","url":"/money","navbarId":"MONEY"},{"title":"Videos","url":"/videos","navbarId":"VIDEOS"}],"selectedSuperCategory":{"id":1,"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"Animals-Nature","description":"Explore animals and nature; animal facts and stats, mammals, marsupials, birds, insects, reptiles, dinosaurs, megafauna, fossils, environment, plants, trees, bacteria, fungi","keywords":"animal facts and stats, mammals, marsupials, birds, insects, reptiles, dinosaurs, megafauna, fossils, environment, plants, trees, bacteria, fungi","classId":"ANIMALS","sortOrder":4},"selectedNavbarLink":{"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature","selected":true,"navbarId":"ANIMALS"}} </script> <script id="json-hamburger-menu" type="application/json"> {"britannicaMenu1":[{"title":"Home","url":"/"},{"title":"ProCon","url":"/procon"},{"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society"},{"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech"},{"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies"},{"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature"},{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel"},{"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture"},{"title":"Money","url":"/money"}],"britannicaMenu2":[{"title":"Games & Quizzes","url":"/quiz/browse"},{"title":"Videos","url":"/videos"},{"title":"On This Day","url":"/on-this-day"},{"title":"One Good Fact","url":"/one-good-fact"},{"title":"Dictionary","url":"/dictionary"},{"title":"New Articles","url":"/new-articles"}],"browseByCategory":[{"title":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society"},"links":[{"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues"},{"title":"Philosophy & Religion","url":"/browse/Philosophy-Religion"},{"title":"Politics, Law & Government","url":"/browse/Politics-Law-Government"},{"title":"World History","url":"/browse/World-History"}]},{"title":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech"},"links":[{"title":"Health & Medicine","url":"/browse/Health-Medicine"},{"title":"Science","url":"/browse/Science"},{"title":"Technology","url":"/browse/Technology"}]},{"title":{"id":3,"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies"},"links":[{"title":"Browse Biographies","url":"/browse/biographies"}]},{"title":{"id":1,"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature"},"links":[{"title":"Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates","url":"/browse/Birds-Reptiles-Vertebrates"},{"title":"Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates","url":"/browse/Bugs-Mollusks-Invertebrates"},{"title":"Environment","url":"/browse/Environment"},{"title":"Fossils & Geologic Time","url":"/browse/Fossil-Geologic-Time"},{"title":"Mammals","url":"/browse/Mammals"},{"title":"Plants","url":"/browse/Plants"}]},{"title":{"id":4,"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel"},"links":[{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/browse/Geography-Travel"}]},{"title":{"id":2,"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture"},"links":[{"title":"Entertainment & Pop Culture","url":"/browse/Entertainment-Pop-Culture"},{"title":"Literature","url":"/browse/Literature"},{"title":"Sports & Recreation","url":"/browse/Sports-Recreation"},{"title":"Visual Arts","url":"/browse/Visual-Arts"}]}],"browseByFeature":[{"title":"Companions","url":"/stories/companion"},{"title":"Demystified","url":"/stories/demystified"},{"title":"Image Galleries","url":"/gallery/browse"},{"title":"Lists","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Podcasts","url":"/podcasts"},{"title":"Spotlight","url":"/stories/spotlight"},{"title":"Summaries","url":"/summary"},{"title":"The Forum","url":"/stories/the-forum"},{"title":"Top Questions","url":"/question"},{"title":"#WTFact","url":"/stories/wtfact"}],"moreFromBritannica":[{"title":"Britannica Kids","url":"https://kids.britannica.com/","newTab":true}],"menuType":"DEFAULT"} </script> <header id="header" class="bg-navy-dark"> <div class="global-nav-top-bar"> <div class="grid gx-0 h-100 justify-content-between align-items-center container-lg mx-auto p-0 position-relative"> <div class="d-flex align-items-center"> <button class="d-flex align-items-center justify-self-start js-toggle js-toggle-hamburger btn btn-link link-white btn-sm rounded-0 p-10"> <div class="hamburger-tooltip"> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block font-24" id="nav-toggle" data-icon="menu"></em> </div> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block font-24 global-nav-search-icon" id="nav-search-icon" data-icon="search" ></em> </button> <a href="/" class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center ml-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel/eb-logo/MendelNewThistleLogo.png" alt="Encyclopedia Britannica" class="global-nav-logo global-nav-logo-left" /> </a> <div class="global-nav-top-search-bar global-nav-top-search-container global-nav-search-container" id="global-nav-top-search-bar"> <form method="get" action="/search" id="global-nav-search" class="md-search-form m-0 global-nav-search-bar-small"> <div class="search-box position-relative col-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="global-nav-search-query">Search Britannica</label> <input name="query" id="global-nav-search-query" placeholder="Search Britannica..." class="form-control form-control-lg rounded-lg font-16 search-query pl-20 pr-70 shadow-sm" maxlength="200" autocomplete="off" aria-label="Search Britannica" /> <button class="search-reset-btn btn btn-link px-10 position-absolute top-0 h-100 d-none" type="reset"> <em class="material-icons" data-icon="close"></em> </button> <button class="search-submit btn btn-link text-blue px-10 position-absolute top-0 right-0 h-100" type="submit" disabled> <span class="sr-only">Click here to search</span> <em class="material-icons search-icon" data-icon="search"></em> </button> </div> </form> </div> </div> <a href="/" class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel/eb-logo/MendelNewThistleLogo.png" alt="Encyclopedia Britannica" class="global-nav-center global-nav-logo non-homepage-logo" /> </a> <form method="get" action="/search" id="global-nav-search" class="md-search-form m-0 global-nav-search-bar-small global-nav-center search global-nav-center-search-container"> <div class="search-box position-relative col-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="global-nav-search-query">Search Britannica</label> <input name="query" id="global-nav-search-query" placeholder="Search Britannica..." class="form-control form-control-lg rounded-lg font-16 search-query pl-20 pr-70 shadow-sm" maxlength="200" autocomplete="off" aria-label="Search Britannica" /> <button class="search-reset-btn btn btn-link px-10 position-absolute top-0 h-100 d-none" type="reset"> <em class="material-icons" data-icon="close"></em> </button> <button class="search-submit btn btn-link text-blue px-10 position-absolute top-0 right-0 h-100" type="submit" disabled> <span class="sr-only">Click here to search</span> <em class="material-icons search-icon" data-icon="search"></em> </button> </div> </form> <div class="col-35 col-sm-auto text-right order-3 mr-lg-15 align-items-center d-flex justify-content-end"> <div class="d-none d-md-inline-block"> <SPAN class="marketing-HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_DESKTOP2 marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_DESKTOP2"><a href="https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_Black_Friday_AUUS" class="subscribe-link btn btn-sm btn-outline-white-orange py-5 mr-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Subscribe </a></SPAN></div> <div class="d-inline-block d-md-none mr-5 mr-sm-10"> <SPAN class="marketing-HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_MOBILE marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_MOBILE"><a href="https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_Black_Friday_AUUS" class="subscribe-link btn btn-xs btn-orange-dark p-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Subscribe </a></SPAN></div> <button class="js-toggle-user-dropdown js-toggle btn btn-sm btn-link link-white rounded-0 px-md-15 pl-5 pr-5"> <span class="d-none d-md-inline-block mr-5">Login</span> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block d-md-none font-16 font-sm-20" data-icon="account_circle"></em> <div class="d-none dropdown-menu-subscription-link">https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_Black_Friday_AUUS</div> <em class="material-icons inactive-icon d-inline-block font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_down"></em> <em class="material-icons active-icon d-inline-block font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_up"></em> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="d-none hamburger-menu-subscription-link"><DIV class="marketing-HAMBURGER_MENU_CTA marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HAMBURGER_MENU_CTA"><a href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=hamburger-menu&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024" class="subscribe-link btn btn-sm btn-orange py-5" target="_blank"> Subscribe <span class="d-none d-md-inline"> Now</span> </a></DIV></div> <div id="global-nav-react"> <div class="d-none"> <ul> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/procon">ProCon</a></li> <li><a href="/History-Society">History & Society</a></li> <li><a href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a></li> <li><a href="/Biographies">Biographies</a></li> <li><a href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a></li> <li><a href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a></li> <li><a href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/money">Money</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="/quiz/browse">Games & Quizzes</a></li> <li><a href="/videos">Videos</a></li> <li><a href="/on-this-day">On This Day</a></li> <li><a href="/one-good-fact">One Good Fact</a></li> <li><a href="/dictionary">Dictionary</a></li> <li><a href="/new-articles">New Articles</a></li> </ul> <a href="/History-Society">History & Society</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues">Lifestyles & Social Issues</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Philosophy-Religion">Philosophy & Religion</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Politics-Law-Government">Politics, Law & Government</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/World-History">World History</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Health-Medicine">Health & Medicine</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Science">Science</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Technology">Technology</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Biographies">Biographies</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/biographies">Browse Biographies</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Birds-Reptiles-Vertebrates">Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Bugs-Mollusks-Invertebrates">Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Environment">Environment</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Fossil-Geologic-Time">Fossils & Geologic Time</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Mammals">Mammals</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Plants">Plants</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Entertainment-Pop-Culture">Entertainment & Pop Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Literature">Literature</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Sports-Recreation">Sports & Recreation</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Visual-Arts">Visual Arts</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="/stories/companion">Companions</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/demystified">Demystified</a></li> <li><a href="/gallery/browse">Image Galleries</a></li> <li><a href="/list/browse">Lists</a></li> <li><a href="/podcasts">Podcasts</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/spotlight">Spotlight</a></li> <li><a href="/summary">Summaries</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/the-forum">The Forum</a></li> <li><a href="/question">Top Questions</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/wtfact">#WTFact</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="https://kids.britannica.com/">Britannica Kids</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </header> <div class="bg-navy-dark"> <div class="container-lg p-0 d-flex justify-content-center global-nav-categories-bar overflow-hidden"> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 global-nav-slider category-snap-slider"> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex font-14 overflow-hidden text-nowrap mx-5"> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-CHATBOT " href="/chatbot">Ask the Chatbot</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-QUIZZES " href="/quiz/browse">Games & Quizzes</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-PROCON " href="/procon">ProCon</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-HISTORY " href="/History-Society">History & Society</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-SCIENCE " href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-BIOS " href="/Biographies">Biographies</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-ANIMALS selected selected" href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-GEOGRAPHY " href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-ART " href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-MONEY " href="/money">Money</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-VIDEOS " href="/videos">Videos</a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <main> <div class="md-page-wrapper"> <div id="content" class="md-content"> <div class="bg-navy-dark text-white text-center pt-30 pb-20"> <div class="container"> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "ListItem", "position" : 1, "item" : { "@id" : "https://www.britannica.com/browse/Science", "name": "Science" } } , { "@type" : "ListItem", "position" : 2, "item" : { "@id" : "https://www.britannica.com/browse/Plants", "name": "Plants" } } ] } </script> <nav class="breadcrumb justify-content-center"> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a href="/" class="link-white">Home</a> </span> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a class="link-white" href="/browse/Science">Science</a> </span> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> Plants </span> </nav> <h1 class="font-serif mt-30 mb-20">Plants</h1> <div class="font-serif grid"> <div class="col-sm-70 col-sm-offset-15"> Life on Earth owes much to plants. The vast majority of plants carry out photosynthesis to transform light energy into chemical energy, which is the way that virtually all energy in the biosphere becomes available to living things (including us humans). Plants occupy the base of Earth's food webs and are consumed directly or indirectly by all higher life-forms, thereby functioning as the major source of food for humans and other animals. Plants' photosynthetic activity also produces the air that we breathe: almost all the oxygen in the atmosphere is due to the process of photosynthesis. Still not convinced about the merits of plants? Consider the fact that many plants not only serve up crucial nutrients and breathable air but also look good doing it. Many plants are admired for their striking aesthetic qualities, and flowers such as tulips, lilies, sunflowers, and daisies beautify fields, gardens, windowsills, and bouquets the world over. Plants are also a primary source of consumer goods, such as building materials, textile fibers, and pharmaceuticals.</div> </div> <div class="text-hr text-hr-right border-navy font-12 text-uppercase font-weight-bold mt-30 ls-lg">Browse Subcategories</div> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 mt-20 category-snap-slider"> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex font-14 overflow-hidden text-nowrap mx-5"> <a href="/browse/Cereals-Fruits-Nuts-Vegetables" class="link-white mr-20 mr-sm-30">Cereals, Fruits, Nuts & Vegetables</a> <a href="/browse/Conifers-Gymnosperms" class="link-white mr-20 mr-sm-30">Conifers & Other Gymnosperms</a> <a href="/browse/Ferns-Lower-Vascular-Plants" class="link-white mr-20 mr-sm-30">Ferns & Other Lower Vascular Plants</a> <a href="/browse/Flowering-Plants" class="link-white mr-20 mr-sm-30">Flowering Plants</a> <a href="/browse/Nonvascular-Plants" class="link-white ">Nonvascular Plants</a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <h2 class="label my-30">Plants Encyclopedia Articles</h2> <div class="grid top g-10 mb-40"> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/1">-AVI</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/2">AVO-BOT</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/3">BOT-CAP</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/4">CAP-COL</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/5">COL-DID</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/6">DIL-FIR</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/7">FIR-HAR</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/8">HAR-JUS</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/9">JUS-LUM</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/10">LUP-MUS</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/11">MUT-PER</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/12">PET-RAM</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/13">RAM-SES</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/14">SHA-SUI</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/15">SUM-URN</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/16">URT-ZYG</a> </div> </div> </div> <h2 class="label my-30 text-center">Featured Articles</h2> <div class="js-pinboard grid gy-20"> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Rafflesiaceae" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/66/166066-050-7EF755F4/flower-Rafflesia-arnoldii-plant-world-endoparasite-host.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="Rafflesia flower" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Rafflesiaceae" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">Rafflesiaceae</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Rafflesiaceae, flowering plant family notable for being strictly parasitic upon the roots or stems of other plants and for the remarkable growth forms exhibited as adaptations to this mode of nutrition.... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/rose-plant" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/99/96099-050-96F791B5/tea-rose-garden-roses-plants-stem-flowers.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="hybrid tea rose" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/rose-plant" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">rose</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Rose, (genus Rosa), genus of some 100 species of perennial shrubs in the rose family (Rosaceae). Roses are native primarily to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Many roses are cultivated... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Cereus-plant-genus" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/69/148469-050-ECD20E4A/saguaro-cactus-Arizona.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="saguaro" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Cereus-plant-genus" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">cereus</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Cereus, (genus Cereus), genus of about 30 species of large columnar cacti (family Cactaceae) native to South America. The common name cereus is also broadly applied to any number of “ceroid cacti,” which... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/baobab-tree-genus" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/13/138913-050-F1CBB739/baobab-tree-Madagascar.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="fony baobab" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/baobab-tree-genus" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">baobab</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Baobab, (genus Adansonia), genus of nine species of deciduous trees of the hibiscus, or mallow, family (Malvaceae). Six of the species (Adansonia grandidieri, A. madagascariensis, A. perrieri, A. rubrostipa,... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/water-lily" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/166330-050-28900AED/Water-lily-pond.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="water lilies in bloom" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/water-lily" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">water lily</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Water lily, (family Nymphaeaceae), family of about 60 species in 4 genera of freshwater flowering plants (order Nymphaeales) native to the temperate and tropical parts of the world. Water lilies provide... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/carnivorous-plant" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/157550-050-56DA0685/Venus-flytrap-traps-insects.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="Venus flytrap" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/carnivorous-plant" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">carnivorous plant</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Carnivorous plant, any plant especially adapted for capturing and digesting insects and other animals by means of ingenious pitfalls and traps. Carnivory in plants has evolved independently about six times... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/plant" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/23/60423-050-A24B296C/Weeping-willow.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="weeping willow tree" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/plant" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">plant</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Plant, (kingdom Plantae), any multicellular eukaryotic life-form characterized by (1) photosynthetic nutrition (a characteristic possessed by all plants except some parasitic plants and underground orchids),... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/houseplant" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/59375-050-45EB1287/selection-plants.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="houseplants" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/houseplant" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">houseplant</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Houseplant, any plant adapted for growing indoors. The most common are exotic plants native to warm, frost-free parts of the world that can be grown indoors in colder climates in portable containers or... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/fern" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/568-004-FB96F747/Tree-fern.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="tree fern" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/fern" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">fern</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Fern, (class Polypodiopsida), class of nonflowering, herbaceous vascular plants that possess true roots, stems, and complex leaves and that reproduce by spores. The number of known extant fern species... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/yucca" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/120984-050-6C0B0997/Adam-needle.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="Adam's needle" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/yucca" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">yucca</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Yucca, (genus Yucca), genus of about 40 species of succulent plants in the agave subfamily of the asparagus family (Asparagaceae), native to southern North America. Most species of yucca are stemless,... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/photosynthesis" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/94122-050-93F6BAE0/trees-plants-carbon-dioxide-sunlight-sugars-water.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="Photosynthesis" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/photosynthesis" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">photosynthesis</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Photosynthesis, the process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform light energy into chemical energy. During photosynthesis in green plants, light energy is captured and used to convert... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/moss-plant" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/07/140407-050-30CD8CA1/Broom-moss.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="broom moss" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/moss-plant" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">moss</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Moss, (division Bryophyta), any of at least 12,000 species of small nonvascular spore-bearing land plants. Mosses are distributed throughout the world except in salt water and are commonly found in moist... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/coast-redwood" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/83/138883-050-3DD16AEB/filters-branches-coast-redwood-trees-Marin-county.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="coast redwoods" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/coast-redwood" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">coast redwood</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Coast redwood, (Sequoia sempervirens), coniferous evergreen timber tree of the cypress family (Cupressaceae), the tallest of all living trees. They are endemic to the fog belt of the coastal range from... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Wollemi-pine" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/199588-050-35511152/Wollemi-pine.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="Wollemi pine" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Wollemi-pine" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">Wollemi pine</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Wollemi pine, (Wollemia nobilis), rare evergreen tree, a member of the conifer family Araucariaceae and the only member of its genus. Wollemi pine was found in 1994 growing in a remote canyon in Wollemi... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Solanales" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/79/37979-050-3BEEE986/Potato.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="potato tubers" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Solanales" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">Solanales</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Solanales, potato order of flowering plants, including five families with 165 genera and more than 4,080 species. Two of the families are large and contain some of the most highly cultivated plants: Solanaceae... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="p-10 d-inline-flex js-pin col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25 "> <div class="card text-normal col-100 "> <div class="card-media position-relative"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Venus-flytrap" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/70/174670-050-4E88819D/fly-Venus.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="Venus flytrap" class="col-100" /> </a> </div> <div class="col"> <div class="card-body text-hyphenate"> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Venus-flytrap" class="font-weight-bold font-16 lh-sm">Venus flytrap</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 font-14"> Venus flytrap, (Dionaea muscipula), perennial carnivorous plant of the sundew family (Droseraceae), notable for its unusual habit of catching and digesting insects and other small animals. The only member... </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="adm my-30"></div> <div class="subcategories"> <h2 class="h4 mt-40 mb-30 font-weight-bold">Plants Subcategories</h2> <div class="grid gy-30 mb-30"> <div class="col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25"> <a href="/browse/Cereals-Fruits-Nuts-Vegetables"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/9688-050-A6CC6CE9/Peanut.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="Peanut (Arachis hypogaea)" class="col-100 mb-20" /> </a> <a href="/browse/Cereals-Fruits-Nuts-Vegetables" class="font-weight-bold font-16">Cereals, Fruits, Nuts & Vegetables</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 line-clamp clamp-3">While some plants are renowned for their aesthetic beauty or for their usefulness in creating medicines and products such as dyes and soaps, many plants are equally celebrated for their tastiness. Edible plants, when eaten, provide humans and other animals with the nutrients needed to supply energy and support growth. This holds true even for plants that may initially sound less than appetizing to some, like wax gourds, prickly pears, and chokecherries. Look to this category for information on these and other veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts, and grains.</div> <div class="label mt-20">Articles</div> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/peanut">peanut</a> <div class="font-serif">plant and legume</div> </li> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/avocado">avocado</a> <div class="font-serif">fruit and tree</div> </li> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/tomato">tomato</a> <div class="font-serif">fruit</div> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25"> <a href="/browse/Conifers-Gymnosperms"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/121937-050-F17339E6/Cedar-Lebanon.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="cedar of Lebanon" class="col-100 mb-20" /> </a> <a href="/browse/Conifers-Gymnosperms" class="font-weight-bold font-16">Conifers & Other Gymnosperms</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 line-clamp clamp-3">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. Among living gymnosperm divisions, the conifers show little similarity to the Cycadophyta and Gnetophyta but share several vegetative and reproductive traits with the Ginkgophyta. Conifers are most abundant in cool temperate and boreal regions, where they are important timber trees and ornamentals, but they are most diverse in warmer areas, including tropical mountains.</div> <div class="label mt-20">Articles</div> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/pine">pine</a> <div class="font-serif">plant genus</div> </li> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/cypress">cypress</a> <div class="font-serif">plant</div> </li> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/juniper">juniper</a> <div class="font-serif">plant</div> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25"> <a href="/browse/Ferns-Lower-Vascular-Plants"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/04/7604-004-E7B35AE3/Club-moss.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="club moss" class="col-100 mb-20" /> </a> <a href="/browse/Ferns-Lower-Vascular-Plants" class="font-weight-bold font-16">Ferns & Other Lower Vascular Plants</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 line-clamp clamp-3">Lower vascular plant, any of the spore-bearing vascular plants, including the ferns, club mosses, spike mosses, quillworts, horsetails, and whisk ferns. Once considered of the same evolutionary line, these plants were formerly placed in the single group Pteridophyta and were known as the ferns and...</div> <div class="label mt-20">Articles</div> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/club-moss">club moss</a> <div class="font-serif">plant</div> </li> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/fern">fern</a> <div class="font-serif">plant</div> </li> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/bracken">bracken</a> <div class="font-serif">fern</div> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25"> <a href="/browse/Flowering-Plants"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/74/161474-050-B95F4D61/Crimson-pitcher-plant-pitchers-insects.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="Crimson pitcher plant" class="col-100 mb-20" /> </a> <a href="/browse/Flowering-Plants" class="font-weight-bold font-16">Flowering Plants</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 line-clamp clamp-3">Angiosperm, any of about 300,000 species of flowering plants, the largest and most diverse group within the kingdom Plantae. Angiosperms represent approximately 80 percent of all the known green plants now living. The angiosperms are vascular seed plants in which the ovule (egg) is fertilized and develops into a seed in an enclosed hollow ovary. The ovary itself is usually enclosed in a flower, that part of the angiospermous plant that contains the male or female reproductive organs or both.</div> <div class="label mt-20">Articles</div> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/eudicotyledon">eudicotyledon</a> <div class="font-serif">plant</div> </li> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/angiosperm">angiosperm</a> <div class="font-serif">plant</div> </li> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/wildflower">wildflower</a> <div class="font-serif">plant</div> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-100 col-sm-33 col-md-25"> <a href="/browse/Nonvascular-Plants"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel/resources/encyclopedia-placeholder.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="subcategory placeholder" class="col-100 mb-15" /> </a> <a href="/browse/Nonvascular-Plants" class="font-weight-bold font-16">Nonvascular Plants</a> <div class="font-serif mt-10 line-clamp clamp-3">Bryophyte, traditional name for any nonvascular seedless plant—namely, any of the mosses (division Bryophyta), hornworts (division Anthocerotophyta), and liverworts (division Marchantiophyta). Most bryophytes lack complex tissue organization, yet they show considerable diversity in form and ecology. They are widely distributed throughout the world and are relatively small compared with most seed-bearing plants.</div> <div class="label mt-20">Articles</div> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/leafy-liverwort">leafy liverwort</a> <div class="font-serif">plant</div> </li> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/hornwort">hornwort</a> <div class="font-serif">plant, division Anthocerotophyta</div> </li> <li class="mt-20"> <a class="font-weight-bold" href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/peat-moss">peat moss</a> <div class="font-serif">plant</div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <DIV class="marketing-CATEGORY_PAGE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="CATEGORY_PAGE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Britannica Premium</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Did you know you're not getting the full Britannica experience? Access unlimited content with none of the ads by becoming a Britannica Premium subscriber.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=category-browse&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV><h2 class="label my-30">Plants Encyclopedia Articles</h2> <div class="grid bottom g-10 mb-40"> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/1">-AVI</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/2">AVO-BOT</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/3">BOT-CAP</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/4">CAP-COL</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/5">COL-DID</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/6">DIL-FIR</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/7">FIR-HAR</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/8">HAR-JUS</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/9">JUS-LUM</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/10">LUP-MUS</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/11">MUT-PER</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/12">PET-RAM</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/13">RAM-SES</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/14">SHA-SUI</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/15">SUM-URN</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-33 col-sm-20 col-md-16 col-lg-10"> <div class="border shadow p-10 text-center "> <a class="font-weight-bold font-14 " href="/browse/Plants/16">URT-ZYG</a> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="breadcrumb my-30"> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a href="/" class="">Home</a> </span> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a class="" href="/browse/Science">Science</a> </span> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> Plants </span> </nav> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <footer class="md-footer footer-wrapper hide-on-edit"> <div class="footer-bck"> <DIV class="marketing-FOOTER_NEWSLETTER marketing-content" data-marketing-id="FOOTER_NEWSLETTER"><div class="md-footer-newsletter-form pt-10 mb-30 mx-15 mx-sm-120"> <div class="font-18"> <strong>History at your fingertips –</strong> Sign up here to see what happened On This Day, every day in your inbox! </div> <div class="p-30"> <div class="newsletter-form-container"> <form class="newsletter-form" method="post" action="/newsletter-subscription/EB_ON_THIS_DAY"> <div class="form-group grid d-flex justify-content-center"> <div class="col-sm-50 col-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="enter-your-email">Enter your email</label> <input id="enter-your-email" type="email" name="email" class="form-control font-18 p-10" placeholder="Enter your email" pattern="[a-z0-9._%+-]+@[a-z0-9.-]+\.[a-z]{2,4}$" required> </div> <div class="col-sm-auto col-100 mt-5 mt-sm-0"> <button type="submit" class="btn btn-outline-white" style="width: 100%; height:100%;">Subscribe</button> </div> </div> <div class="text-white pt-30 text-opacity"> By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.<br> Click here to view our <a class="link-white text-decoration-underline" href="https://corporate.britannica.com/privacy-policy2" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Privacy Notice</a>. Easy unsubscribe links are provided in every email. </div> <input type="hidden" name="source" value="Footer" /><input type="hidden" name="campaign" value="Mendel" /><input type="hidden" name="medium" value="Box" /></form> <div class="md-subscribed hidden text-white"> <div class="my-10">Thank you for subscribing!</div> <div>Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div></DIV> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex justify-content-center colored" data-value="connect" > <div class="share-label text-uppercase hidden-xs">Stay Connected</div> <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> <a class="social-icon youtube justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="youtube" href="https://www.youtube.com/c/encyclopaediabritannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>YouTube</span></a> <a class="social-icon instagram justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="instagram" href="https://www.instagram.com/britannica/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Instagram</span></a> <a class="social-icon pinterest justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="pinterest" href="https://www.pinterest.com/britannica/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg height="30" width="30" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-hidden="true" aria-label="" role="img"><path d="M0 12c0 5.123 3.211 9.497 7.73 11.218-.11-.937-.227-2.482.025-3.566.217-.932 1.401-5.938 1.401-5.938s-.357-.715-.357-1.774c0-1.66.962-2.9 2.161-2.9 1.02 0 1.512.765 1.512 1.682 0 1.025-.653 2.557-.99 3.978-.281 1.189.597 2.159 1.769 2.159 2.123 0 3.756-2.239 3.756-5.471 0-2.861-2.056-4.86-4.991-4.86-3.398 0-5.393 2.549-5.393 5.184 0 1.027.395 2.127.889 2.726a.36.36 0 0 1 .083.343c-.091.378-.293 1.189-.332 1.355-.053.218-.173.265-.4.159-1.492-.694-2.424-2.875-2.424-4.627 0-3.769 2.737-7.229 7.892-7.229 4.144 0 7.365 2.953 7.365 6.899 0 4.117-2.595 7.431-6.199 7.431-1.211 0-2.348-.63-2.738-1.373 0 0-.599 2.282-.744 2.84-.282 1.084-1.064 2.456-1.549 3.235C9.584 23.815 10.77 24 12 24c6.627 0 12-5.373 12-12S18.627 0 12 0 0 5.373 0 12"></path></svg> </a> </div> <br/> <div class="container"> <ul class="list-unstyled legal-links"> <li><a href="https://corporate.britannica.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">About Us & Legal Info</a></li> <li><a href="https://corporate.britannica.com/contact/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Contact Us</a></li> <li><a href="https://corporate.britannica.com/privacy-policy2" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://corporate.britannica.com/termsofuse.html2" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Terms of Use</a></li> <li><a href="https://corporate.britannica.com/diversity" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Diversity</a></li> </ul> <div class="mt-20">©2024 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</div> </div> </div> </footer> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script> <!-- Ortto ebmwprod capture code --> <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"TopicBrowse","templateName":null,"pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":null,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":true} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-browse-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"B","adLeg":"B","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"TopicBrowse","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>