Common Types of Plants

Trees: Short plants are called shrubs and tall plants are known as trees. Innumerable types of
evergreen trees help make our earth green. Deciduous trees are the trees which shed their leaves.
Ornamental trees that are used for landscaping include maple trees, oak trees, flowering pear, etc.
Here are some types of flowering (Angiosperms) and non flowering trees (Gymnosperms).
Angiosperm Gymnosperm
s
s
Plum

Cypress

Dogwood

Cedar

Cherry

Spruce

Apple

Sequoia

Maple

Cycas

Bottlebrush

Yew

Buckeye

Juniperus

Hawthorne

Zamia

Almond

Podocarpus

Yellowwood

Sciadopitys

Vegetables and Fruit Bearing Plants: Vegetable gardens yield vegetables and fruits bearing trees
provide fruits. Including lots of vegetables and fruits in your diet helps improve your health; as they
provide the essential nutrients.
Grass: Grass is the main food of herbivorous animals, like cow, sheep, deer, etc. Human beings
usually eat herbivorous animals. Some types of grass exhibit medicinal properties too. For example
wheat grass, psyllium, etc. Ornamental grass types are also very popular.
Shrubs and Bushes: Various types of shrubs and bushes enhance the beauty of home gardens or
public places. Many shrubs are covered with flowers. They are the most common hedge plants as
they have high ornamental value. The following table describes common shrubs and bushes.
Flowering

Non
Flowering

Hydrangea

Golden
Duranta

Azalea

Coleus

Boxwood

Arborvitae

Bougainvillea

Bamboo
Palm

Honeysuckle

False
cypress

Firethorn

Artemesia

Holly

Euonymus

American

Hebe

Bittersweet
Barberry

Aucuba

Lonicera

Houttuynia

Flowering and non Flowering Plants: Flowering plants are the most sought after plants. They
enhance the beauty of gardens, homes, offices, streets, etc. Flowering plants are used as office
plants for decoration, for producing medications or perfumes, for aroma therapy, etc. Non flowering
plants like crotons are known for their brightly colored foliage and they are widely cultivated as
decorative plants.
Cacti: A cactus is a plant which stores water in its succulent stem. Cacti are well adapted to grow in a
hot and dry weather. They are commonly found in deserts; but are also used to enhance the beauty
of specially designed gardens. They are used as houseplants too.
Herbs: Culinary, medicinal and spiritual uses of herbs are common these days. Herbs like aloe vera,
basil, etc., are used for various purposes. Herbs and herbal teas are well-known for medicinal effects.
Following table enlists some popular herbs as per their growing habits.
Annual Biennial
Aloe Vera Parsley
Basil

Caraway

Perennia
l
Sage
Spearmin
t

Chamomil Coriand
e
er

Thyme

Calendula

Borage

Dill

Cayenne Mustard

Gingerro
ot

Other Types: 'Crops' that provide food like grains, legumes, cereals, etc., 'annuals' that live for one
year, 'biennials' which last for two years or which take two years to bloom or to grow from seed to
fruition, 'perennials' that last longer and keep on flowering, etc. are some other kinds of plants.
Creepers (allamanda, bougainvilleas), climbers (grape ivy, bleeding heart), bulbs (daffodils, tulips),
plants with tubers and tuberous roots (potato, dahlia), summer-flowering plants (gladiolus and lily),
spring-flowering plants (hyacinth, daffodil, tulip), etc. are some other divisions of plants. The list of
plant types is actually never-ending. If you are interested in knowing some uncommon types of plants
that are found mostly in the rainforests, then take a look at the following section.
Different Types of Plants in the Rainforest
The rainforest biomes of the world are the biggest oxygen suppliers of the world. Tropical and
temperate rainforests have billions of plant species, some of which are now labeled as 'endangered
species'. The main types of plants in the rainforest are:
Carnivorous Plants: These plants obtain nutrients from animal matter. Nepenthes rafflesiana, venus
fly trap and the pitcher plant are some examples of carnivorous plants.
Lianas: Climbing vines in the rainforests are called lianas. Sunlight hardly reaches the ground level of

the dense rainforests. Lianas climb upwards as they need sunlight for survival. Their stems become
thick and woody. The length of the stems can be 3000 feet!
Strangler Plants: Seeds of strangler plants start growing high on other trees. They have air roots and
they get moisture and nutrients from the air. Orchids, philodendrons, ferns and bromeliads are the
best examples of strangler plants. Their aerial roots grow quickly and start surrounding the host tree.
Eventually, due to suffocation, the host tree dies. That is why these plants are called 'killer plants'.
Birds and monkeys eat the fruits of these plants and transport the seeds of these plants.
Plants with Prop Roots: Plants like mangroves which grow at river edges have greater risk of floods
and tides. Several aerial extensions from the trunk grow downwards and support these plants. These
prop or stilt roots provide the required stability to these plants.
Plants with Buttress Roots: Soil in the rainforests contains maximum nutrients at the surface level.
To have maximum possible nutrients and support, some tall trees develop buttressed roots. These
roots grow from the base of the trunks and try to cover maximum area. Roots growing from the base
of the trunk, from the level as high as 15 ft above the ground, are very common.
Medicinal Plants or Plants of Industrial Use: Rainforest plants are the biggest source of drugs like
quinine. A number of muscle relaxants, steroids and cancer drugs are obtained from the plants in the
rainforests. Every part of a trumpet tree or Cecropia peltata is used to make some kind of a medicine.
Around 150 types of chemicals are found in the leaves, seeds, fruit, and bark of cocoa tree or
Theobroma cacao which are used to produce drugs to treat anxiety, fever, fatigue, cough, etc. Insect
repellents, paints, appetizers, juices, extracts, poisons, tonics, energy drinks, and various industrial
products are manufactured by using various parts of trees.
Plants help avoid soil erosion and provide pure oxygen that we breathe. Human as well as animal life
is dependent on different types of plants. Still, numerous plants are at the verge of extinction. Studies
show that thousands of species are in danger of extinction in the next 10-50 years. Strict action is
required to preserve the natural wealth of our planet. More and more forests are being destroyed for
land clearing for urban development, agriculture, animal grazing, etc. Adverse effects like 'global
warming' are signs of environmental imbalance. Drugs for so many diseases like cancer, diabetes,
AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, etc. are yet to be discovered. Deforestation and extinction of
thousands of species can hinder the discovery of many possible cures for life-threatening diseases.

26 branches of botany
1. Morphology (Morphe=form, logos=science) : Under this branch we study the form and structure
of plants. That branch of morphology which is based upon the external form and structure of plant is
called External Morphology.
2. Anatomy : The study of internal structure of the plants with the help of section cutting, is called
Internal Morphology or Anatomy.
3. Histology : The study of cells and tissues with the help of microscope is called histology,
4. Cytology : Detailed study of the cells is called cytology. It includes structure, function of different
cell organelles, nucleus and cell inclusions. Different types of cell divisions are included in this
branch. The study of this branch has become possible only with the help of electron microscope.

5. Plant Physiology : This branch includes the study of various vital activities of the plant. All
chemical and physical changes taking place in the cell and any exchange of substances between the
cell and its environment are called vital activities of the cell, e.g., photosynthesis, respiration etc.
6. Taxonomy : In this branch the plants are classified according to their characteristics and
interrelationship. With the help of plant taxonomy we are able to identify the plants and know their
characters.
7. Ecology (Oikos = house; logos = science) : This branch deals with the study of environment of
plants and their communities and vice-versa. Included in this branch are the studies of adaptations of
plants with reference to their environment. This branch also includes the studies of soil erosion, soil
conservation and pollution.
8. Plant geography : This branch deals with the distribution of plants on the earth and reasons
thereof.
9. Genetics : Is the study of heredity and variations. What are the Laws of inheritance and why the
offspring resembles or differs from the parent are studied under this branch.
10. Plant breeding : Branch of botany dealing with the development of improved varieties of plants.
11. Embryology : The male and female gametes of a plant fuse to form the zygote. Zygote develops
into an embryo (in embryophyta) with plumule, cotyledons and radicle. When germination of seed
takes place, the entire plant develops from these organs. We study all these developments in
embryology.
12. Paleobotany : Paleobotany is the study of fossil plants. Plants which flourished and lived on the
surface of globe several million year ago but are not living now and are found as rocks. In which rocks
and parts of the world they are found, what is their structure and how they are interrelated to the
plants of the present day.
13. Economic Botany : In this branch of Botany we study the plants with reference to their products.
Which plants produce medicines, gums, oils, fibers, fuel, wood etc., are studied under this branch.
14. Plant Pathology : This branch includes different types of disease of plants, their symptoms,
causal agent and methods of control.
15. Organic evolution : This is the branch of Botany in which we study the evolution of complex
organisms from simple ones and the principles involved in it. Some new aspects of Botany based on
modern technology are as follows.
16. Biochemistry (Phytochemistry) : Study of chemistry of plants.
17. Biophysics : Study of plant activities on the basis of principles of physics.
18. Microbiology : Study of microorganisms. It includes the study of viruses, bacteria, microfungi,
microalgae and protozoa in relation to plants.
19. Molecular biology : Study of biochemistry at molecular level.
20. Palynology : Study of pollen grains in relation to taxonomy and evolution etc.

21. Biometrics : Statistical analysis of different results of biological experiments.

22. Genetic Engineering : Adding, removing or repairing part of genetic material, thereby changing
the phenotype of organism as desired.
Branches allied to Botany :
23. Agronomy : Is the science which deals with the crop plants.
24. Horticulture : Is the science which deals with the study of flowering and fruiting plants.
25. Pharmacognosy : Is the branch of science dealing with the medicinal plants.
26. Pedology : Is the science dealing with the study of soils.