Selaginellales

The Selaginellales are an order of lower vascular plants, often grouped with club mosses. These plants, belonging to the genus Selaginella, are characterized by their moss-like appearance, branching stems, and scalelike leaves. A key feature of Selaginella is its heterosporous reproduction, meaning it produces two types of spores: larger megaspores that develop into female gametophytes and smaller microspores that develop into male gametophytes. This contrasts with homosporous plants, which produce only one type of spore. The sporangia, which contain these spores, are typically found in specialized structures called strobili, or cones.1234