Phylum Round 1
Gnetophyta vs Rhodophyta
Gnetophyta
Rhodophyta
The Other Kind of Gymnosperm vs Red Algae
Gnetophyta: I don't really know what's going on with these plants. They're gymnosperms (like pine trees -- seeds yes, flowers no) but there's only 70 species in three genera, and all three genera look pretty different from each other. And I'm not the only one scratching my head here, according to Wikipedia, "Unlike most biological groupings, it is difficult to find many common characteristics between all of the members of the gnetophytes." The phylum includes vines, shrubs, and less commonly trees. Welwitschia mirabilis (shown above) lives in the Namib desert in Africa and can grow up to 4 meters or 13 feet in diameter.
Rhodophyta: Arguably not a plant, sometimes a seaweed (the seaweed used in sushi is a red alga.) Over 7,000 known species. Most live in the ocean. No chloroplasts, but they can be green anyways, or pink or brown or purple or almost black, or of course red. Most red algae are multicellular and can be seen without a microscope, and they mostly reproduce sexually. As with many plants they often have alternation of generations, but may have three stages rather than two. A distinguished member of the phylum is corraline algae, which is essential in forming coral reefs.
