Any of various photosynthetic, eukaryotic, multicellular organisms of the kingdom Plantae
characteristically producing embryos, containing chloroplasts, having cellulose cell walls,
and lacking the power of locomotion.- 1
The kingdom Plantae includes organisms that range in size from a tiny moss to a giant tree.
Despite this enormous variation, all plants are multicellular and eukaryotic (i.e., each cell
possesses a membrane-bound nucleus that contains the chromosomes). They generally
possess pigments (chlorophylls a and b and carotenoids), which play a central role in
converting the… 2
Plants are a major group of life forms and include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs,
bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. About 350,000 species of plants,
defined as seed plants, bryophytes, ferns and fern allies, are estimated to exist currently.
As of 2004, some 287,655 species had been identified, of which 258,650 are flowering
and 15,000 bryophytes (see table below). Green plants, sometimes called metaphytes,
obtain most of their energy from sunlight via a process called photosynthesis. 3