General account of Cycadofilicales
Cycadofilicales is an extinct order of seedless vascular plants that thrived during the Carboniferous period, approximately 360 to 299 million years ago. They are commonly referred to as the "cycad ferns" due to their fern-like foliage and their resemblance to modern cycads. Cycadofilicales were an important group of plants during the Carboniferous, contributing to the lush tropical forests that covered large parts of the Earth at that time. They were among the earliest seed plants and played a significant role in the evolutionary history of plants. These plants had a complex life cycle and exhibited characteristics of both ferns and cycads. They had a prominent sporophyte generation, which was the dominant phase of the life cycle. The sporophyte consisted of a tall stem with a crown of large, compound leaves. The leaves were pinnately divided, similar to those of ferns, but had a more cycad-like appearance. The reproductive structures of Cycadofilicales were cone-like struct...