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Biology / Unit 10   Bio 2177 short lesson, about 20 seconds

Seedless Vascular Plant Traits: Vascular Tissue, Sporophyte Dominance

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The idea

Seedless vascular plants evolved xylem and phloem for water and sugar transport, letting the sporophyte generation grow larger and dominate the visible plant.

In practice

A fern's leafy fronds are its sporophyte; its gametophyte grows as a small, separate, short-lived structure on the ground.

Where people slip

Vascular tissue, not seeds, is this group's defining trait — seedless vascular plants still reproduce by releasing spores.

Your place on the trail

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