Plantaariset

Plantaariset is a Finnish term used in biology to describe a broad plant-related eukaryotic lineage that includes the true plants and several lineages of algae linked by a common origin of plastids. The term appears in some educational materials and older literature, and it is largely superseded in modern taxonomy by Archaeplastida. In that context, Plantaariset refers to organisms with plastids derived from a single primary endosymbiotic event with cyanobacteria.

Composition and relationships

The group traditionally encompasses glaucophytes, red algae (Rhodophyta), green algae (Chlorophyta and related groups), and land plants (Embryophyta). In contemporary classifications, the broader clade Archaeplastida is favored, while the terms green plants and land plants are sometimes used for more specific subgroups. The unifying feature is the presence of primary plastids and related cellular traits inherited from the ancestral cyanobacterial endosymbiont.

Evolution and characteristics

The Plantaariset lineage is understood to have originated more than a billion years ago, with the primary plastid endosymbiosis providing the photosynthetic capability found across the group. Green and red algae display substantial diversity in form and lifestyle, from unicellular to multicellular, freshwater to marine environments, while land plants expanded and diversified to occupy terrestrial ecosystems.

Current practice

Today, archaeplastidology tends to favor the term Archaeplastida, but Plantaariset remains a reference in some Finnish sources for describing this plant-related assemblage. It serves as a historical or contextual descriptor rather than a current formal taxonomic rank.

See also

Archaeplastida, Viridiplantae, Embryophyta, Plastids.