One of the prime systems of plant taxonomy, the Engler system was devised by Adolf Engler.

According to Engler, Syllabus der Pflanzenfamilien (1924) the main groups of plants are:

• I. divisio Schizophyta
• II. divisio Phytosarcodina
• III. divisio Flagellatae
• IV. divisio Dinoflagellatae
• V. divisio Bacillariophyta
• VI. divisio Conjugatae
• VII. divisio Chlorophyceae
• VIII. divisio Charophyta
• IX. divisio Phaeophyceae
• X. divisio Rhodophyceae
• XI. divisio Eumycetes
• XII. divisio Embryophyta asiphonogama

  1 subdivisio Bryophyta

  2 subdivisio Pteridophyta

• XIII. divisio Embryophyta siphonogama

  1 subdivisio Gymnospermae

  2 subdivisio Angiospermae

  1 classis Monocotyledoneae

  2 classis Dicotyledoneae

In modern classifications, Engler's divisions I - XI are not considered plants but are classified in other groups (although some botanists do accept Engler's divisions VII and VIII, the "green algae", as plants).