Plants include familiar types such as trees , herbs , bushes , grasses , vines , ferns , mosses , and green algae . The scientific study of plants, known as botany , has identified about 350,000 extant (living) species of plants. Fungi and non-green algae are not classified as plants. Most plants grow in the ground, with stems in the air and roots below the surface. Some float on water. The root part absorbs water and some nutrients the plant needs to live and grow. These climb the stem and reach the leaves. The evaporation of water from pores in the leaves pulls water through the plant. This is called transpiration . A plant needs sunlight , carbon dioxide , minerals and water to make food by photosynthesis . A green substance in plants called chlorophyll traps the energy from th...