Engler and Prantl system of classification in plant taxonomy

This presentation has been intended to offer a bird's eye view about the phylogenetic classification of the plant kingdom in general and the Engler and Prantl system in particular with merits and demerits.

1. PLANT TAXONOMY: ENGLAR & PRANTLE SYSTEM OF
CLASSIFICATION
A Presentation by:
Dr. N. Sannigrahi,
Associate Professor ,
Department of Botany,
Nistarini College, Purulia (W.B)
India, 723101

2. IN ALL THINGS OF NATURE,THERE IS SOMETHING OF
THE MARVELOUS” -ARISTOTLE

3. ENGLAR & PRANTL SYSTEM
Plantclassificationhasbeenstudiedsincethetimeimmemorialofthe
onsetofagrariancivilization.
Themoderntrendofclassificationhasbeenstartedbythenumberof
naturalistsingeneralandLinnaeusinparticular,
Theclassificationbroadlycategorizedunderfourcategories-
ArtificialSystem,theNaturalsystem,thephylogeneticsystemof
classification&thePhenticsystemofclassification
RecenttrendismostuniqueonecalledAPGsystemofclassification
InPhylogeneticsystem,theplantsareclassifiedaccordingtotheir
evolutionaryrelationships.Itisverydifficulttoclaimthata
phylogeneticsystemisperfectonthebasisofevolutionaryaffinities
duetoincompletefossilsrecordsandinsuchasituationtheplantsare
classifiedonthebasisofavailabledata.Thesystemsofclassification
byEnglerandPrantl(1887-1915),Hutchinson(1926,1934,1969and
1973)andbyTakhtajan(1954,1964,1973,1980)arePhylogenetic
systems.

4. ADOLPH ENGLER & KARL PRANTL

5. ENGLER & PRANTL CLASSIFICATION
AdolfEngler,ProfessorofBotany,UniversityofBerlin,Germany,proposed
aphylogeneticsystemofclassificationinabookentitledSyllabus(1892).
Soonafter,EnglerincollaborationwithKarlA.E.Prantl,anotherGerman
Botanist,publishedamonumentalworkentitled“
DieuturlichenPflanzenfamilien"(1887-1915)having23volumes,Hans
Melchiorpublishedtherevisededitionofsyllabusin1964withanumberof
modificationsinthissystem.
Thesystemofclassificationhasbeendescribedasa“transitional
phylogeneticsystem”byJonesandLuchsinger(1987),
Theyclassifiedalltheplantsfromalgaetoangiosperms,
Thesystemisusedmostofthenon-Britishherbariaoftheworld.
Theyplacedmonocotsbeforedicots,orchidstobemoreevolvedthan
grasses,apetalousandcatkinbearingdicotsprimitivetodicotsbearing
petalsandsimpleunisexualflowers.

6. ENGLER AND PRANTL SYSTEM -OUTLINE
Engler and Prantl’s system divided the plant kingdom into following 14
divisions-
I.Schizophyta
II.Myxothallophyta,
III.Flagellatae,
IV.Dinoflagellatae,
V.Bacillariophyta,
VI.Conjugate,
VII.Heteroconiae,
VIII.Chlorophyceae,
IX.Charophyta,
X.Phaeophyceae,
XI.Rhodophyceae
XII.Eumycetes,
XIII.ArchigonitaeorEmbryophyta-Asiphonogama(BryophytaandPteridophyta),
XIV.EmbryophytaSiphonogama

7. ENGLER & PRANTL CLASSIFICATION
Unisexual,naked-flowersarrangedincatkinandwindpollinatedwere
consideredasthelowestgradeoffloralorganizationbyEnglerandassuchis
calledEnglerianconcept.Thenextstageofevolutioninflowerisfollowedby
theappearanceof1-seriateperianthleadingto2-seriateconditionalongwith
bisexualcondition.TheoutlineandbasisofclassificationofEnglerandPrantl's
systemaregivenbelow:1)PlantKingdomhasbeendivided,intoXI11
DivisionsbutaccordingtorecentmodificationsbyMelchior(1964)thetotal
DivisionsareXVI.
2)DivisionItoXI1dealingwithBacteria,differenttypesofAlgae,Fungi,
Bryophytes,andPteridophytes.
3).TheXI11DivisionisnamedasEmbryophytaSiphonogamia;Itisdivided
into2sub-divisionbasedonthenakedand^enclosedovules,thatisi)
Gymnospermae(nakedovules)ii)Angiospermae(enclosedovules)
4)Thesub-divisionGymnospermaehasbeendividedinto7orders,thestarting
onebeingCycadofilicales,themostprimitiveonewhereastheendingorderis
Gnetales,anadvancedgroupofGymnosperms.
5)Thesub-divisionAngiospermaehasbeensplittedintotwoi)
Monocotyledonae,andii)Dicotyledonae

8. ENGLER & PRANTL CLASSIFICATION
ThisdivisionismainlybasedonthestrikingdifferencesbetweenMonocotsand
Dicotssuchasthevenationofleaf,3-merousflowersinMonocotswhereas4-5
numerousflowersarepresentinDicots.
6)Monocotsarefurtherdividedinto11Ordersand45Families(14Ordersand
53FamiliesaftertherevisionbyHansMelchior,1964).Thefirstorthestarting
OrderisPandanaleswhichpossessesnaked,unisexualflowerswithTyphaceae
astheStartingfamily.ThelastorderisMicrospermaewithorchidaceaeasthe
lastfamily.
7)Dicotsaredividedinto2subdassnamely:i)Archichlamydeae,andii)
SympetalaeThisdivisionismainlybasedontheconditionofperianth,1-seriate
or2-seriateandtheirfusion.
8)SympetalaewhichisalsonamedasMetachlamydeaehas11Ordersinall
with52Families(11Ordersand64FamiliesafterrevisionofHansMelchior,
1964).
ThefirstorthestartingOrderbeingEricaleswithClethraceaeasthestarting
family.
ThelastorendingorderofSympetalaeisCampanulaleswithAsteraceaeor
Compositaeasthelastorendingfamilyandthatisveryrightlyplacedbecause
thisfamilyisconsideredasthe-highestevolvedfamilyamongDicotfamilies.

9. ENGLER & PRANTL CLASSIFICATION
Subdivision-Angiospermae
Class1Monocotyledoneae-comprising11ordersasfollow:
I.Pandanales,
II.Helobiae(Allismataceaeand6otherfamilies)
III.Triuridales(Triuridaceae)
IV.Glumiflorae(Cyperaceae,Gramineae),
V.Principes(Palmae),
VI.Synanthae(Cyclanthaceae)
VII.Spathiflorae(Araceae,Lemnaceae),
VIII.Farinosae(Commelinaceae,and12morefamilies),
IX.Liliflorae(Juncaceae,Amaryllidaceae,Iridaceaeand5morefamilies),
X.Scitamineae(Musaceaeand3morefamilies)
XI.Microspermae(OrchidaceaeandBurmanniaceae)

10. ENGLER & PRANTL CLASSIFICATION
CLASS2:DICOTYLEDONAE -Cotyledons2;reticulatevenation,flowers
tetraorpentamerous,openvascularbundleinstem,subdividedinto2
subclasses-ArchichlamydeaeandMetachglamydeae,comprisingof44
ordersand258families.
SUBCLASS:ARCHICHLAMYDEAE -Petalsabsentorfreewith33orders
and201families.
ORDERS1:Verticillatae(Casurinaceae)
Piperales(piperaceaeand2more)
Hydrostachjyles(Hydrostachyaceae)
Salicales(Salicaceae)
Garryales(Garryaceae)
Myricales(Myricaceae)
Balanopsidales(Balanopsidaceae)
Leitneriales(Leitneriaceae)
Juglandales(Juglandaceae)
Julianiales(Julianiaceae)
Batidales(Batidaceae)

11. ENGLAR & PRANTLE CLASSIFICATION
Fagales(Fagaceae,Butolaceae)
Urticales(Moraceae,Urticaceae,Ulmaceae)
Podostemonales(Podostemonaceae)
Proteales(Proteaceae)
Santinales(Santalaceae,Loranthaceaeand5more)
Aristolochiales(Aristolochiaceaeand2morefamilies)
Balanophorales(Balanophoraceae)
Polygonales(Polygoniaceae)
Centrospermae(Chenopodiaceae,Amaranthaceaer,Nyctaginaceae,
Caryophyllaceaeand6more)
Ranales(RanunculaceaeNymphaeaceae,Magnoliaceae,Annoonaceaeand
15more,)
Rhoeadales(Papaveraceae,Capparidaceae,Cruciferaeand4more)
Sarraceniales(3families)
Rosales(Rosaceae,Leguminosaeand15more)

12. ENGLER & PRANTL CLASSIFICATION
Pandanales(Pandanaceae)
Gerniales(Geraniaceae,Rutaceae,Meliaceae,Euphorbiaceaeand17more)
Sapindales(Anacardiaceaeand22more)
Rhamnales(Rhamnaceae,Vitaceae)
Malvales(Malvaceae,Tiliaceae,Bombaceae,Sterculiaceaeand3more)
Parietales(Violaceaeand30morefamilies)
Opuntiales(Cactaceae)
Myrtiflorae(Myrtaceae,Combretaceaeand21more)
Umbelliflorae(Umbellifloraeand2moreFamilies)
SUBCLASS2:METACHLAMYDEAE (SYMPRTALAE)
ORDERS1:Diapensiales(Diapensiaceae)
Ericales(Ericaceaeand3more)
Primuales(Primuliuaceaeand2more)

13. ENGLER & PRANTL CLASSIFICATION
Plumbaginales(Plumbaginaceae)
Ebenales(Sapotaceaeand6more).
Contortae(Apocynaceae,Asclepiadaceae,Oleaceaeand3more),
Tubiflorae(Convolvulaceae,Boraginaceae,Verbenaceae,Labiatae,
solanaceae,Scrophulariaceae,Bignoniaceae,Pedaliaceae,Acanthaceaeand
13morefamilies)
Plantginales(plantaginaceae),
Rubiales(Rubiaceaeand4morefamilies),
\Cucuirbitalkes(Cucurbitaceae)
Campanulatae(Campanulaceae,Compositaeand4morefamilies)
Thus,fromtheaboveobservation,itisquiteclearthattheseveralclosely
relatedfamiliesaretreatedclosetooneanotherwiththerayoflightofthe
phylogeneticrelationshipamongtheplantsgroups.

14. BROAD OUTLINE OF ENGLER & PRANTL SYSTEM

15. MERITS OF ENGLER & PRANTL SYSTEM
Although,Englerhimselfdidnotconsiderthesystemasatruephylogenetic
onesystemsorClassification:
Plantsbutthearrangementoforderandfamiliesinthesystemismostly
accordingtoevolutionarytendencies.
ThesystemdealswithallgroupsofPlant-KingdomrangingfromBacteria,
Algae,Fungi,Bryophyta,Pteridophyta,GymnospermsandAngiosperms.
Thesystemprovidesmodernkeysfortheidentificationofeachgroupof
plants.
ThepositionofGymnospermsbeforeAngiospermsisveryaccurateandis
inperfectaccordancetothemodemconceptofevolution.
ThepositionofAsteraceae(Compositae)astheendingfamilyofDicotis
verylogicalandaccuratebecauseitisprovedbeyonddoubtthatthisfamily
isthehighestevolvedfamilyofDicotandthusitspositionisfullyjustified.
Similarly,thepositionofOrchidaceaeastheendingfamilyofMonocotis
alsoveryaccurateasthisfamilyisconsideredasoneofthehighestevolved
familyofmonocots.Anatomicaldataweretakenintoconsiderationinthis

16. DEMERITS OF ENGLER & PRANTL SYSTEM
systemofclassificationforthefirsttime.
Thisisaconvenientandwellknownfilingsystemofseveralherbariaofthe
world.
PolypetalaeandMonochlamydaeofBenthamandHookerweremergedintoone
subclassArchichlmydae,
Abundantillustrationsareprovidedalongwiththedescriptionoffamilies.
Demerits:
Theconceptofprimitiveflower(unisexual,naked,catkin)isagainstthemodern
conceptofevolution.
MonocotsareregardedmoreprimitivethanDicots.Thisconceptisnotin
agreementwithmodernconceptofevolution.
AmalgamationofApetalousfamilieswithPolypetalousfamiliestoform
Archichlamydeaeisnotdesirableasithasresultedintheformationofa
unmanageablelargegroup33Ordersand206families.
Thesystemisnotofmuchpracticalutility.
Thesystemfailstorecognizethesignificanceofreductionandbecauseofthis
“simple”wereequatedwith“primitive”accordingtoCronquist(1965)

17. NOTHINGINBIOLOGYMAKESSENSEEXCEPTINTHELIGHTOF
EVOLUTION”
REFERENCES:
Plant taxonomy-O.P. Sharma
Text Book of plant Systematics-C.R. Mohanty
Advanced plant taxonomy-A.K. Mondal
Taxonomy of Angiosperms-P.C. Vasistha
Plant taxonomy-Theory & Practice-G. Singh
Google for images
Different WebPages for study materials
Disclaimer:
This PPT has been developed to enrich online study resources for academic
fraternity without any financial interest.

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