The glossophytes are a clade of seed plants comprising the glossopterids and their descendants. This includes the Gnetales and angiosperms, as well as Bennettitales.[1]

Glossophyte
Gnetum (cf. africanum) in Costa Rica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Polysporangiophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Glossophytes

Their monophyly is rather well supported by molecular methods, although their internal relationships are somewhat more shaky.[1]

The clade had diverged by the Permian, when glossopterids appear in the fossil record.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Doyle, J.A. (1996). "Seed Plant Phylogeny and the Relationships of Gnetales". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 157 (6): 3–39. doi:10.1086/297401. JSTOR 2475206. S2CID 85024429.