by Mary Free and Christa Watters, Extension Master Gardeners
Land plants have evolved from ten major living lineages, with like plants being grouped together. The first shared characteristic is whether or not they have vascular tissue—xylem and phloem to transport water and sugars. The three lineages that lack vascular tissue—hornworts, liverworts, and mosses—are known as bryophytes. The remaining seven lineages, which are vascular plants, are separated into the seedless group—lycophytes (club mosses) and pteridophytes. (ferns and horsetails)—and the spermatophytes or seed plants of which there are two large groups, the angiosperms (meaning “vessel seeds”) and the gymnosperms (meaning “naked seeds”).
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Vascular Plants
Seed-bearing (Spermatophytes)
Angiosperms
Gymnosperms
