Angiosperm, Bryophyte, Gymnosperm, Lycophyte, Pteridophyte, Spermatophyte

angiosperm [ AN-jee-uh-spurm ] noun: belonging to a class of flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed in a fruit from ovules enclosed in an ovary

bryophyte [ BRAHY–uh-fahyt ] noun: any of the group of non-vascular plants comprising the hornworts, liverworts, and mosses

gymnosperm [ JIM-nuh-spurm ] noun: woody vascular plant that does not have true flowers and produces naked seeds (not enclosed in an ovary)

lycophyte [ LI-kuh-fahyt ] noun: any of the group of seedless vascular plants with primitive leaves with only one vascular vein

pteridophyte [ tuh-RID–uh-fahyt, TER-i-doh- ] noun:  any of the group of seedless vascular plants with complex veining (such as ferns)

spermatophyte [ spur-MAT–uh-fahyt, SPUR-muh-tuh– ] noun: any of the group of vascular plants that bear seeds

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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”).

Vascular Plants

Gymnosperms

The  gymnosperms are the more ancient group, believed to go back about 380 million years. They include four lineages of differing origins: conifers, cycadophytes (palm-like plants), gnetophytes (remnants of mostly extinct plants with vessels and cambium) and ginkgoes. Gymnosperms possess separate male and female reproductive organs or (usually) strobili. In conifers they are often on the same plant; in cycads and ginkgoes, which are dioecious, the male and female reproductive organs appear on different individual plants. They are mostly pollinated by the wind, although specialist insects like certain beetles pollinate cycads, and many gymnosperm seeds are spread by wind. 

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Angiosperms

Angiosperms, also known as the flowering plants, are believed to have first flourished on a large scale in the Cretaceous period, between 66 and 144 million years ago. Angiosperms all belong to one lineage and represent about 80 percent of plant species living on earth today, approximately 300,000. This makes them the most successful group of land plants, a success attributed in large part to the gynoecium and the efficacy of its fertilization process. While there is a huge diversity of flower shapes and types, colors, and odors, they all have the same structures: sepals, petals, stamens and carpels, which include the ovary—the “vessel” that becomes the main part of most fruits containing the seeds. Colors and scents help attract pollinators that fertilize them; smaller, less showy flowers tend to be wind-fertilized and also have their seeds spread by wind.

Left to right: Angiosperms in the Quarry Shade Garden in March, Simpson Demonstration Garden in May, Glencarlyn Library Community Garden in June, Fort Barnard Community Garden in August, Sunny Garden in October, Green Spring Garden in November.

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References

Berry PE, Zimmermann MH, Stevenson DW, Cronquist A, Stevens P, Dilcher DL. July 29, 2024. “angiosperm”. Encyclopedia Britannica. (accessed August 4, 2024).

Cai C, Escalona HE, Li L, Yin Z, Huang D, Engel MS. 2018. Beetle Pollination of Cycads in the Mesozoic. Current Biology. 28(17): 2806-2812.e1. ISSN 0960-9822. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.036.

Davis CC, Matthews S. 2019. Evolution of Land Plants. Oxford Bibliographies. doi: 10.1093/OBO/9780199941728­0119.

Fowler S, Roush R, Wise J. 2013. 14.3 Seed Plants: Gymnosperms. 14.4 Seed Plans. Angiosprems. Concepts of Biology. OpenStax. Houston, Texas.

Sengbusch PV. Flowers. Michigan State University. (accessed August 2, 2024).