Ancient Species

Sphenophytes

Sphenophytes are plants in which the leaves grow directly from the trunks, rather than on branches. The only modern sphenophyes are horsetails but in the Carboniferous Period (354 to 286 million years ago), some types grew to 30 meters tall.

Sphenophytes appeared late in the Devonian Period (about 360 million years ago) and diversified into species ranging from small grass-like plants to tall trees during the Carboniferous Period (354 to 286 million years ago).   

Most types of sphenophytes were wiped out in the "great extinction" at the end of the Permian Period (about 248 million years ago) but the surviving species again spread and diversified during the Triassic Period (248 to 213 million years ago), only to decline during the Jurassic Period (213 to 144 million years ago).