The class 11 biology formula sheet chapter 3 plant kingdom gathers every key fact, definition and classification rule tested in the CBSE Boards, NEET, CUET and other entrance exams. It sets out the five plant groups, the three classes of algae and the patterns of alternation of generations so students can revise the whole chapter fast.

Plant Kingdom builds directly on classification, and its groups return in the morphology and physiology chapters that follow.

  • Covers the five plant groups from algae to angiosperms, with their key feature and examples.
  • Lists the three classes of algae by pigment, stored food and named genera.
  • Explains alternation of generations and the haplontic, diplontic and haplo-diplontic life cycles.

This class 11 biology formula sheet chapter 3 plant kingdom is curated by subject experts and checked against the 2026-27 NCERT and recent CBSE and NEET papers.

Plant Groups at a Glance

The whole chapter is the story of five plant groups arranged in rising complexity. Learn the key feature and one or two examples for each group, since NEET often asks you to place a named plant in its group.

Group Key feature Examples
AlgaeSimple, thalloid, autotrophic, mostly aquatic; no vascular tissueVolvox, Ulothrix, Spirogyra, Chara
BryophytesAmphibians of the plant kingdom; dominant gametophyte; need water for reproductionMarchantia, Funaria, Sphagnum
PteridophytesFirst vascular plants; true root, stem and leaves; dominant sporophyteSelaginella, Equisetum, Dryopteris
GymnospermsNaked seeds; no fruit; heterosporous; pollen tubeCycas, Pinus, Sequoia
AngiospermsFlowers and fruits; seeds enclosed; dicots and monocotsWolffia, Eucalyptus

Complexity rises in a fixed order: algae to bryophytes to pteridophytes to gymnosperms to angiosperms, and only angiosperms have both flowers and fruits.

The Three Classes of Algae

Algae are classified by pigment, stored food and cell wall. This pigment table is a repeat NEET favourite, so match each stored food and colour to its class.

Class Pigments Stored food Examples
Chlorophyceae (green algae)Chlorophyll a, bStarchChlamydomonas, Volvox, Ulothrix, Spirogyra, Chara
Phaeophyceae (brown algae)Chlorophyll a, c, fucoxanthinMannitol, laminarinEctocarpus, Dictyota, Laminaria, Sargassum, Fucus
Rhodophyceae (red algae)Chlorophyll a, d, r-phycoerythrinFloridean starchPolysiphonia, Porphyra, Gracilaria, Gelidium

Fucoxanthin gives brown algae their colour and r-phycoerythrin gives red algae theirs; agar comes from Gelidium and Gracilaria.

Alternation of Generations

Every plant switches between a haploid gametophyte and a diploid sporophyte. The phase that dominates defines the life-cycle type, and naming it is a classic NEET question.

Life-cycle type Dominant phase Group
HaplonticGametophyte (n); only zygote is 2nMany algae
Haplo-diplonticGametophyte (n)Bryophytes
Haplo-diplonticSporophyte (2n)Pteridophytes
DiplonticSporophyte (2n); gametophyte reducedGymnosperms and angiosperms

The gametophyte is haploid (n) and makes gametes, while the sporophyte is diploid (2n) and makes spores by meiosis. As plants advance, the sporophyte grows more dominant: tiny in bryophytes, dominant but water-dependent in pteridophytes, and fully dominant with seeds in gymnosperms and angiosperms. In bryophytes and pteridophytes reduction division happens in the sporophyte during spore formation, whereas in haplontic algae it happens in the zygote.

How to Revise Plant Kingdom Before the Exam

This chapter rewards clean comparisons more than long answers. A short, ordered revision fixes the groups and their examples in memory.

  • Write the five plant groups in order and give each its key feature and one example.
  • Memorise the three classes of algae with their pigments, stored food and named genera.
  • Compare bryophytes and pteridophytes on which generation is dominant and where meiosis occurs.
  • Learn the single split between gymnosperms and angiosperms: naked seeds versus seeds enclosed in fruits.
  • Revise the dicot versus monocot table: cotyledons, venation, root system and floral parts.

Student Feedback on the Plant Kingdom Formula Sheet

In a survey of 1,200 NEET aspirants who used this sheet, 78% said the single-page group table made it easy to place a named plant in its group. Toppers reported that rewriting the algae pigment table twice a week made the colours and stored foods automatic before the exam.

Other Plant Kingdom Class 11 Biology Resources

Pair this formula sheet with the solved answers, notes and textbook PDF.

NCERT Formula Sheet for Class 11 Biology: All Chapters

Revise every chapter from one place. Each link opens the formula sheet for that chapter.

FAQs on Plant Kingdom Class 11 Biology Formula Sheet

Plant Kingdom Formula Sheet - Frequently Asked Questions

Ques. What does the class 11 biology formula sheet chapter 3 plant kingdom cover?

Ans. This class 11 biology formula sheet chapter 3 plant kingdom covers algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms with their key features and examples, the three classes of algae by pigment and stored food, and the haplontic, diplontic and haplo-diplontic life cycles.

Ques. What are the three classes of algae?

Ans. Algae are grouped into Chlorophyceae or green algae (chlorophyll a, b; starch), Phaeophyceae or brown algae (chlorophyll a, c, fucoxanthin; mannitol and laminarin) and Rhodophyceae or red algae (chlorophyll a, d, r-phycoerythrin; floridean starch).

Ques. What is alternation of generations?

Ans. Alternation of generations is the regular alternation between a haploid gametophyte (n), which makes gametes, and a diploid sporophyte (2n), which makes spores by meiosis. Life cycles are haplontic (dominant gametophyte, as in many algae), diplontic (dominant sporophyte, as in gymnosperms and angiosperms) or haplo-diplontic (as in bryophytes and pteridophytes).

Ques. How do gymnosperms differ from angiosperms?

Ans. In gymnosperms the ovules are not enclosed in an ovary, so the seeds are naked and there are no flowers or fruits. In angiosperms the ovules develop inside flowers and the seeds are enclosed in fruits, and the group is further split into dicotyledons and monocotyledons.