Zosterophyllaceae

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Zosterophyllaceae Fossil range: Devonian
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Lycopodiophyta Class: Zosterophyllopsida † Order: Zosterophyllales † Cleal & B.A. Thomas, 1994 Family: Zosterophyllaceae †
Genera
Gumuia Rebuchia Zosterophyllum

The Zosterophyllaceae or Zosterophylls (class Zosterophyllopsida) were among the first vascular plants in the fossil record. They were probably stem-group lycophytes, so included the ancestors that lycophytes evolved from. They bore lateral, reniform sporangia, branched dichotomously, and grew at the ends by unrolling. Some had smooth stems, others were covered in small spines.

Some zosterophylls are reconstructed as being aquatic.^{[verification needed]}

[edit] See also

• Drepanophycales, another clade of early lycopods

[edit] External links

• Palaeos Plants : Lycopsida : Zosterophyllopsida
• Introduction to the Zosterophylls.

v • d • e Early land floræ
Related links	Evolutionary history of plants • External link directory	Image:Cooksonia.png
The first...?	Vascular plant, Cooksonia  • Tree, Archaeopteris  • Lycopods, the Drepanophycales and the Zosterophylls  • Fungus fossil, Ornatifilum
Enigmatic taxa	Cuticular remains: Cosmochlaina, Nematothallus • A giant fungus? — Prototaxites
Sister taxa	Green algae: Charophyta, from which land plants evolved • Chaetocladus, an early alga
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