Magnoliophyta

Introduction

Magnoliophytamăg˝nōlēŏf´ətə [key], division of the plant kingdom consisting of those organisms commonly called the flowering plants, or angiosperms. The angiosperms have leaves, stems, and roots, and vascular, or conducting, tissue (xylem and phloem). The ovules, which develop into seeds, are enclosed within an ovary, hence the term angiosperm, meaning enclosed seed. The flowering plants are the source of all agricultural crops, cereal grains and grasses, garden and roadside weeds, familiar broad-leaved shrubs and trees, and most ornamentals.

Sections in this article:

Introduction
Class Liliopsida (Monocotyledons)
Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Plants