Which groups reproduce sexually by using spores?

Which groups reproduce sexually by using spores?

• A. Lycophyta, Sphenophyta, and Pterophyta
• B. Anthophyta
• C. Bryophyta
• D. Gymnosperms

Answer: (A)

Spore-based sexual reproduction is a hallmark of plants that don’t produce seeds. In these groups, the life cycle includes a sporophyte that makes spores inside sporangia. When the spores are released, they grow into a separate haploid gametophyte, which then produces the sperm and eggs. Fertilization typically requires water for the sperm to swim to the egg, so these plants thrive in moist environments. The major groups that fit this pattern are the clubmosses, horsetails, and ferns—the lycophytes, sphenophytes, and pterophytes. They are all seedless vascular plants that reproduce sexually using spores. By contrast, flowering plants and conifers rely on seeds for reproduction, and mosses, while also using spores, belong to a different, non-vascular group. So the listed trio represents the groups most clearly associated with sexual reproduction via spores.

Spore-based sexual reproduction is a hallmark of plants that don’t produce seeds. In these groups, the life cycle includes a sporophyte that makes spores inside sporangia. When the spores are released, they grow into a separate haploid gametophyte, which then produces the sperm and eggs. Fertilization typically requires water for the sperm to swim to the egg, so these plants thrive in moist environments. The major groups that fit this pattern are the clubmosses, horsetails, and ferns—the lycophytes, sphenophytes, and pterophytes. They are all seedless vascular plants that reproduce sexually using spores. By contrast, flowering plants and conifers rely on seeds for reproduction, and mosses, while also using spores, belong to a different, non-vascular group. So the listed trio represents the groups most clearly associated with sexual reproduction via spores.