nonlycophyte

Nonlycophyte is a term used in some botanical contexts to refer to plants that are not lycophytes. Lycophytes, also known as clubmosses, are an ancient group of vascular plants characterized by their small, leaf-like appendages called microphylls, which typically have a single, unbranched vein. They are distinct from ferns, horsetails, and seed plants. Therefore, a nonlycophyte encompasses all vascular plants that do not belong to the lycophyte division. This broad category includes a vast majority of the plant kingdom as we know it today.

The major groups of plants considered nonlycophytes are ferns (Monilophyta), gymnosperms (like conifers, cycads, ginkgoes, and gnetophytes), and angiosperms (flowering plants). Each of these groups possesses distinct evolutionary histories and morphological characteristics that set them apart from lycophytes. For example, ferns and horsetails have megaphylls, which are larger leaves with a branching network of veins, a feature generally considered to be a more advanced trait than the microphylls of lycophytes. Gymnosperms and angiosperms, in turn, represent the evolution of seeds and flowers, respectively, which are also absent in lycophytes. The distinction between lycophytes and nonlycophytes is a fundamental concept in understanding the diversity and evolutionary relationships within the plant kingdom.