Their place in the classification

Photosynthesis and chlorophyll

Plants are living beings that produce their own organic matter (they are said to be autotrophic) unlike most animals that need to feed on these plants or other animals to produce it. Photosynthesis, which enables plants to produce organic matter, requires mineral salts from the soil, carbon dioxide from the air, and solar energy captured by the leaves. This is achieved through the presence of a pigment, called chlorophyll, which gives plants their green colour. This colour is sometimes masked in some plants by another colour, such as red. 

Cousin plants

Some plants are more closely related than others: for example, the common dandelion and the black nightshade are closer to each other (they both have flowers) than to the hairy asplenium (which has no flowers). This is an example of a plant collection, arranged in nested groups and as a tree. Only the species whose names are followed by the logo are concerned by the "Sauvages de ma rue" observatory.