Life forms of plants

Most of the land is populated by certain plants. And although they all belong to the same realm of living organisms, their form and physiology are individual. The term "plant life forms" was first introduced in 1884 by the Danish botanist E. Warming. He believed that a certain life form characterizes the state of the plant in which it ideally coexists with the environment. In the following, a lot of plant classification systems were created according to a similar criterion.

Life forms of plants: the classification of K. Raunkire

The famous scientist K. Raunkier once developed his own classification of plants, which is guided by a single criterion. Here we take into account an important sign of adaptation to the influence of the external environment, namely the position of the kidneys of renewal in relation to the soil. According to this system, the following forms are distinguished:

• Phanerophytes - the tops of shoots of such plants are located in the air even in the most unfavorable times of the year. As a rule, the distance from the kidneys of renewal to the soil surface is more than 30 centimeters. Such plants are well tolerated by the influence of the external environment.
• Hamefity - the tip of such an escape is also located above the surface of the soil, but the distance between them does not exceed 20 to 30 centimeters.
• Hemicryptophytes - the life form of plants, which is characterized by a low location of the kidneys of renewal. As a rule, in bad periods of the year, the tip of the shoot is on the surface of the soil, under the litter.
• Cryptophytes - the buds of the renewal of such plants are stored either in the soil itself or under water;
• The terophytes are another group of plants, the kidneys of which are preserved exclusively in the form of seeds.

The scientist believed that the life forms of plants - is the result of centuries-old adaptations to survival in certain climatic conditions. However, such a system is not accurate. On the other hand, and to this day it is popular, constantly undergoing modifications.

Life forms of plants: the classification of I. Serebryakov

It is this classification, developed in 1962 - 1964 by IG Serebryakov, today considered to be the most complete and accurate. When it was created, the scientist took into account the peculiarities of the climatic zone and the conditions of growth, as well as the structure of the vegetative and generative organs. Four main departments were identified, each of which includes its own types:

Woody plants (department A). Here it is customary to distinguish three types:

• Trees - plants of this form are characterized by the presence of a powerful, lignified trunk. These are perennial representatives of the flora.
• Shrubs are another large group of plants that is characterized by the presence of several trunks sprouting from sleeping buds.
• Shrubs are plants that are very similar to shrubs, but have some significant differences, including smaller sizes and longevity.

Semi-woody plants (department B). This group is divided into two types:

• Semishrubs-plants are quite similar to bushes and shrubs, but it has its own distinctive features. For example, their skeletal axes live no more than 5 - 8 years, and after death do not form sleeping buds.
• Semishrubs.

Ground grasses (department B) - the name clearly indicates which representatives of the plant world have united in this group. There are two types:

• Polycarpic herbs are herbaceous perennial plants, the flowering of which can be observed every year, sometimes even several times a year.
• Monocarpic herbs - these plants can live from one to several years. A distinctive feature is the flowering, which occurs only once during the development of the plant, after which the body dies.

Water herbs (department D) - this includes organisms whose vital functions are somehow connected with the aquatic environment. It is customary to distinguish two types:

• Amphibious floating grasses - the vegetative body of such a plant, as a rule, is located on the surface of water, on the boundary of the earth and water.
• Underwater herbs are life forms of plants that have an exclusively aquatic habitat.

In fact, the life forms of plants and animals are very diverse. And today there is no ideal system for their classification.