How do gnetophytes differ from most other gymnosperms in their xylem?

Gnetophytes differ from most other gymnosperms because they possess vessel elements in their xylem.12

While the xylem of most gymnosperms consists primarily of tracheids—which are less specialized, water-conducting cells—gnetophytes have evolved vessel members. These vessel members are characterized by perforations in their end walls, which allow for a more efficient pathway for water movement throughout the plant body. This feature is typically associated with angiosperms (flowering plants), leading to scientific speculation regarding the evolutionary relationship between gnetophytes and the ancestral stock of some angiosperms.1342