Pteridospermopsida (Noun)
Meaning
Extinct gymnosperms most of Carboniferous to Jurassic: seed ferns and allies.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The Pteridospermopsida class was a group of extinct gymnosperms that dominated the plant life in the Carboniferous period.
- Seed ferns were characterized by having leaves that resembled ferns but reproduced like conifers through seeds, classifying them as Pteridospermopsida.
- In the fossil record, Pteridospermopsida plants are often found with fern-like foliage, leading to their common name 'seed ferns'.
- By the Jurassic period, the Pteridospermopsida had largely been replaced by flowering plants and conifers.
- Despite their name, Pteridospermopsida like Medullosa and Matonia were actually a different clade from true ferns.