The higher land plants evolved from the telome trusses of the primitive forms along three parallel lines, as indicated in the following table: Primitive Land Plants Lycopsida Sphenopsida Pteropsida Examples Selaginella Equisetum Phanerogams Lycopodium Ferns Lepidophyta Transitional Protolepido- Hyeniales Protopteridales Groups dendrales
The sporophyll of the Sphenopsida is believed to have arisen by a downward bending of the sporangium toward a common axis (recurvation, leading to anatropy, Fig.