Angiosperms

Overview

Angiosperms are the largest and most diverse plant group within the kingdom Plante. This plant group consists of over 300,000 flowering plants and makes up 80% of plants that are living today [1]. Angiosperms are defined by being vascular seed plants where the ovule (egg) is fertilized and then enclosed into a hollow ovary. These contrast with another group that exists in the kingdom Plante, gymnosperms in which seeds (fertilized ovule) are not enclosed within the ovary and are often exposed (the most common examples being conifers and their cones) [1]. Angiosperms are a group of seed plants, also known as spermatophytes [2].

Clades

Angiosperms are made up of three main clades. The first is a small basal relic clade which makes up a small percentage of the angiosperms. The two main clades that are most commonly discussed when talking about angiosperms are the monocots and the eudicots [2].