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Whisk Fern
Psilotum nudum
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A fern ally epiphytic on rocks and tree trunks in warm regions of Japan. It is among the simplest vascular plants, possessing neither true leaves nor roots (only a rhizome), consisting solely of green dichotomously branching stems. Called a 'living fossil' due to its resemblance to Paleozoic plants.
Identification Points
- โA plant consisting solely of green naked stems with no roots or leaves
- โStems repeatedly dichotomously branched
- โSporangia are orange-yellow, fused in groups of three on the stem sides
Habitat
Epiphytic on rocks and tree trunks in southern Japan and the Ryukyu Islands
Season
Year-round (evergreen)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Phylogenetic Positionใใใใฉใณ็ง โ
Phylogenetic Position
Vascular plants > Polypodiophyta > Ophioglossopsida > Psilotales > Psilotaceae
Divergence Era
Devonian (approx. 380 million years ago onward)
Evolution Notes
Psilotaceae was once considered the most primitive extant vascular plant (a survivor of Devonian psilophytes), but molecular phylogenetics now places it as a specialized lineage within ferns.
View on evolution timeline โSources & References
AI-generated, needs verification