SUBPHYLUM LYCOPHYTA or CLUB MOSSES

• one of the dominant forms of plant-life during the Carboniferous period
• there are only a few remaining small genera of club mosses
• its prehistoric forms were as large as trees and made up entire forests
• mostly small, reaching about 20 centimeters in height
• sporophytes have true roots, stems and leaves
• stems branch so that the ends are Y-shaped
• groups of spore producing structures form at the tips of some branches
• gametophytes rise fom spores whihc bear reproductive organs
• zygote results form fertilization and develops into a sporophyte
• some are evergreens and are used for holiday decorations

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