Land Plants

Embryophytes

The land plants, also called embryophytes, include the bryophytes, the pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms. They all share the evolutionary feature of retaining and protecting embryos during reproduction. This differs from closely related green algae that form zygotes after fertilization, but these zygotes are released, and do not obtain protection or sustenance from the female tissues.

Features

  • Photosynthetic organisms that retain their embryos on the female gametophyte

  • Comprises all land plants, including mosses, ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms

Geologic Age

Lifecycle

  • Haplo-diplontic lifecycle

    • Sporophyte (2n): diploid stage that produces haploid spores through meiosis

    • Gametophyte (1n): haploid stage that germinates from spores, and produces gametes

    • Sporophyte → meiosis → spores → mitosis → gametophyte → mitosis → gametangia → mitosis → sperm/eggs → sperm/eggs → fertilization → zygote/embryo → mitosis → sporophyte

Classification

Eukaryotes

└Archaeplastida

└Viridiplantae

└Streptophytes

└Embryophytes

├Bryophytes

├Liverworts

├Mosses

└Hornworts

└Vascular plants

├Clubmosses

├Ground pines

├Spike-mosses

└ Quillworts

├Euphyllophytes

├Monilophytes (ferns sensu lato)

├Horsetails

├Ophioglossoid ferns

├Whisk ferns

└ Ferns

└Seed plants

├Gymnosperms

├Cycads

├Ginkgo

├Conifers

└ Gnetophytes

└ Angiosperms

Additional Resources