Ferns & Other Lower Vascular Plants

Lower vascular plants, formerly known as pteridophytes, are simple, spore-producing plants that include ferns, club mosses, spike mosses, quillworts, horsetails, and whisk ferns. These plants reproduce through microscopic spores, often released from specialized structures on their leaves or stems. Ferns are among the most familiar members of this group, with their featherlike fronds; the tightly coiled young leaves are called fiddleheads. Many lower vascular plants are found in moist forests, wetlands, and shaded environments, and are important components of ecosystems worldwide. The lower vascular plants are the oldest form of land plants; their fossils, which once formed ancient forests, are a major part of modern coal deposits.