Classification

Annotated classification

• Division Gnetophyta

  Longitudinal files of cells with pores in end walls (vessels) in xylem (wood); dioecious; strobili (cones) consist of bracts, in the axils of which are the reproductive structures, which have been likened to flowers of angiosperms.

  • Order Ephedrales

    Shrubs to small trees; small leaves with 2 or 3 veins; mature cones often become fleshy and brightly coloured; 1 family, Ephedraceae; 1 genus, Ephedra, with 65 species.

  • Order Gnetales

    Mostly vines, but a few trees; large flat leaves that have reticulate venation; seeds may be brightly coloured; 1 family, Gnetaceae; 1 genus, Gnetum, with about 30 species.

  • Order Welwitschiales

    2 immense, permanent leaves, which become split and frayed with age; seeds with winglike extensions that may aid in dispersal; restricted to Namib Desert of Africa and vicinity; 1 family, Welwitschiaceae, with 1 member, Welwitschia mirabilis.

Critical appraisal

There have been attempts to demonstrate that the gnetophytes form a link between gymnosperms and angiosperms. Proponents of this concept cite the compound nature of both the pollen-producing and seed-producing strobili (some botanists have interpreted the strobili as “inflorescences”; i.e., the axillary fertile shoots of both types of cones are considered to be flowers); and the presence of vessels in the xylem (wood), a major difference between gnetophytes and all other gymnosperms. In recognition of these similarities, a classification has been proposed that placed the gnetophytes in the group Chlamydospermae, a group between the gymnosperms and the angiosperms. The word “chlamydospermae” means a seed with a “cloak,” or envelope, a reference to pairs of bracteoles (scalelike structures) that surround a seed. However, most botanists do not currently believe that this system is accurate and instead place the three genera in three separate families in the order Gnetales.

More recently, the trend has been to establish a major group, the Gnetophyta (a division) or Gnetopsida (a class), consisting of three orders—Ephedrales, Gnetales, and Welwitschiales—each comprising one family and one genus. This system recognizes that there are certain shared characteristics but at the same time recognizes that there are significant differences between them. Modern studies, particularly molecular research comparing various gene sequences in the DNA, have further established that the flowering plants did not evolve directly from a gnetophyte ancestor.

The existence of gnetophytes in the fossil record has been based primarily upon the presence of pollen grains resembling those of Ephedra and Welwitschia. Leafy shoots, seedlings, and microstrobili similar to Welwitschia from the Early Cretaceous have been found associated with Welwitschia-type pollen.