Final answer:
Seedless vascular plants have vascular tissue with roots and leaves allowing them to grow taller than nonvascular plants. They have variety in leaf types and reproduce through spores with examples including clubmosses, ferns, whisk ferns, and horsetails.
Step-by-step explanation:
Seedless vascular plants display several significant characteristics that are crucial to their survival on land. Unlike nonvascular plants, seedless vascular plants contain vascular tissue, including both xylem and phloem. The xylem is responsible for the transportation of water and minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant, while the phloem carries sugars and nutrients produced by the leaves to other parts of the plant. This development enabled these plants to grow taller than their nonvascular counterparts and to form large prehistoric forests, although many of these large plant species are now extinct.
The presence of vascular tissue also allowed the evolution of roots and leaves, which are significant for acquiring water and carrying out photosynthesis, respectively. Seedless vascular plants have various types of leaves, ranging from simple, small leaves known as microphylls to larger, more complex leaves with vein patterns called megaphylls. An essential reproductive feature of many seedless vascular plants is the modified leaves called sporophylls, which bear sporangia. Some are arranged in cone-like structures known as strobili.
Examples of seedless vascular plants include clubmosses, ferns, whisk ferns, and horsetails. Reproduction among these plants happens through spores rather than seeds, which is reflected in their classification as 'seedless' vascular plants. With over 1,200 species of clubmosses and more than 20,000 species of ferns, their diversity is considerable and reflects a wide range of adaptations to different environmental conditions.