Vascular plant

The vascular plants are those plants that have specialized cells for conducting water and sap within their tissues, including the flowering plants, conifers and other gymnosperms, but not mosses, algae, and the like (nonvascular plants). They are set apart in two important ways:

1. Vascular plants have water-carrying tissues, termed tracheids, in their tissues, enabling the plants to evolve larger and more elaborate structures, while non-vascular plants lack these.
2. In vascular plants, the principal generation phase is the sporophyte, which is diploid with two sets of chromosomes per cell. In non-vascular plants, the principal generation phase is often the gametophyte, which is haploid with one set of chromosomes per cell. See also alternation of generations.

Vascular plants are occasionally grouped as a single division (Tracheophyta) or subkingdom (Tracheobionta), but neither is very common and both conflict with other common systems.

Capillary action and transpiration work to allow xylem carry sap upward toward the leaves from the roots.

Divisions

• • Equisetophyta ~ horsetails
  • Lycopodiophyta ~ clubmosses, spikemosses, quillworts
  • Psilotophyta
  • Pteridophyta~ ferns

• Superdivision Spermatophyta
  • Pinophyta ~ conifers
  • Cycadophyta
  • Ginkgophyta
  • Gnetophyta
  • Magnoliophyta ~ flowering plants

See also

• Fern allies