Horneophytes

Earliest branching land plants

The horneophytes are an extinct group of plants that are similar to bryophytes, such that they lacked true vascular cells, but differed from the bryophytes because they have the ability to branch in the spore-producing phase (sporophyte). They are a basal group of plants with branching sporophytes (polysporangiophytes) on the land plant tree of life, which are now extinct.

Classification

Embryophytes

   └Polysporangiophytes

      └Horneophytes †

Geologic Age

Ecology and Form

Sporophyte (spore-bearing) phase

Horneophyton lignieri

Stems

Roots

Leaves

Reproduction

Above: Horneophyton corm (c) with rhizoids (r) and hydroids (v)

Above: Horneophyton stem (in longitudinal section) with forked sporangia (s)

Above: Model reconstruction of Horneophyton

Above: Reconstruction of Horneophyton lignieri

Gametophyte (gamete-forming) phase

Langiophyton mackiei

Diversity

Caia langii † 

Caia langii

Above: Reconstruction of Caia langii (from Fig 5, Fanning et al. 1990)

Tortilicaulis transwalliensis

Tortilicaulis transwalliensis

Above: Sporangia of Tortilicaulis transwalliensis † (from Plate 5 of Edwards 1979)