Higher plant
| Vascular plants Temporal range: mid-Silurian-Holocene |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| (unranked): | Archaeplastida |
| (unranked): | Viridiplantae |
| (unranked): | Streptophyta |
| (unranked): | Embryophyta |
| (unranked): |
Tracheophyta Sinnott, 1935 |
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Divisions † Extinct |
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Vascular plants (from Latin vasculum: duct), also known as tracheophytes (from the equivalent Greek term trachea) and also higher plants, form a large group of plants (c. 308,312 accepted known species ) that are defined as those land plants that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified tissue (the phloem) to conduct products of photosynthesis. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, horsetails, ferns, gymnosperms (including conifers) and angiosperms (flowering plants). Scientific names for the group include Tracheophyta and Tracheobionta.
Vascular plants are distinguished by two primary characteristics:
One possible mechanism for the presumed switch from emphasis on the haploid generation to emphasis on the diploid generation is the greater efficiency in spore dispersal with more complex diploid structures. In other words, elaboration of the spore stalk enabled the production of more spores, and enabled the development of the ability to release them higher and to broadcast them farther. Such developments may include more photosynthetic area for the spore-bearing structure, the ability to grow independent roots, woody structure for support, and more branching.
A proposed phylogeny of the vascular plants after Kenrick and Crane is as follows, with modification to the gymnosperms from Christenhusz et al. (2011a), Pteridophyta from Smith et al. and lycophytes and ferns by Christenhusz et al. (2011b)
Pteridospermatophyta † (seed ferns)
Cycadophyta (cycads)
Pinophyta (conifers)
Ginkgophyta (ginkgo)
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