Which lower vascular plant groups are heterosporous?

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While most lower vascular plants are homosporous—producing morphologically identical spores—a few specific groups exhibit heterospory, a condition characterized by the production of two distinct types of spores: larger megaspores (female) and smaller microspores (male).12

The lower vascular plant groups that are heterosporous include:

  • Lycophytes: Specifically the spike mosses (Selaginella) and the quillworts (Isoetes).31
  • Ferns: Certain water-fern families, specifically Marsileaceae, Salviniaceae, and Azollaceae.1

In these plants, the two spore types develop into separate male and female gametophytes, which facilitates cross-fertilization and increases genetic recombination.412