Question

Which of the following statements about phylum Anthophyta is FALSE?

a. It is the largest phylum of photosynthetic organisms.
b. The two major classes are the monocots and dicots.
c. Its members vary in size from 1 millimeter long to 100 meters tall.
d. Some members are parasitic.
e. Some members are saprophytic.

Answer 1

The false statement is that angiosperms are divided only into monocots and dicots as the modern classification includes monocots, eudicots, and basal angiosperms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement about phylum Anthophyta that is FALSE is 'b. The two major classes are the monocots and dicots.' The reason this statement is false is because the modern classification of angiosperms does not simply divide them into monocots and dicots. Although these groups were historically used to classify flowering plants, research has shown that the group referred to as 'dicots' is not monophyletic - meaning it does not include all descendants of a common ancestor. Instead, the 'dicots' are more accurately referred to as eudicots, which is a subgroup within the dicots. Additionally, there are basal angiosperms which are considered as a separate grouping because they show characteristics of both monocots and eudicots. Therefore, modern taxonomy features several groups within angiosperms: monocots, eudicots, and basal angiosperms.