Euphyllophyte

The euphyllophytes are a clade of plants within the tracheophytes (the vascular plants). The group may be treated as an unranked clade, a division under the name Euphyllophyta or a subdivision under the name Euphyllophytina. The euphyllophytes are characterized by the possession of true leaves ("megaphylls"), and comprise one of two major lineages of extant vascular plants. As shown in the cladogram below, the euphyllophytes have a sister relationship to the lycopodiophytes or lycopsids. Unlike the lycopodiophytes, which consist of relatively few presently living or extant taxa, the euphyllophytes comprise the vast majority of vascular plant lineages that have evolved since both groups shared a common ancestor more than 400 million years ago. The euphyllophytes consist of two lineages, the spermatophytes or seed plants such as flowering plants (angiosperms) and gymnosperms (conifers and related groups), and the Polypodiophytes or ferns, as well as a number of extinct fossil groups.

The division of the extant tracheophytes into three monophyletic lineages is supported in multiple molecular studies. Other researchers argue that phylogenies based solely on molecular data without the inclusion of carefully evaluated fossil data based on whole plant reconstructions, do not necessarily completely and accurately resolve the evolutionary history of groups like the euphyllophytes.

The following cladogram shows a 2004 view of the evolutionary relationships among the taxa described above.

Tracheophytes	Lycopodiophytes Clubmosses Quillworts Spikemosses Euphyllophytes Spermatophytes Angiosperms Cycads Ginkgo Conifers Gnetophytes Polypodiopsida Ophioglossoid ferns Whisk ferns Marattioid ferns Horsetails Leptosporangiate ferns
Lycopodiophytes	Clubmosses Quillworts Spikemosses
	Clubmosses

	Quillworts Spikemosses
	Quillworts

	Spikemosses



Euphyllophytes	Spermatophytes Angiosperms Cycads Ginkgo Conifers Gnetophytes Polypodiopsida Ophioglossoid ferns Whisk ferns Marattioid ferns Horsetails Leptosporangiate ferns
Spermatophytes	Angiosperms Cycads Ginkgo Conifers Gnetophytes
	Angiosperms

	Cycads Ginkgo Conifers Gnetophytes
	Cycads Ginkgo
	Cycads

	Ginkgo


	Conifers Gnetophytes
	Conifers

	Gnetophytes




Polypodiopsida	Ophioglossoid ferns Whisk ferns Marattioid ferns Horsetails Leptosporangiate ferns
	Ophioglossoid ferns Whisk ferns
	Ophioglossoid ferns

	Whisk ferns


	Marattioid ferns Horsetails Leptosporangiate ferns
	Marattioid ferns Horsetails
	Marattioid ferns

	Horsetails


	Leptosporangiate ferns

An updated phylogeny of both living and extinct Euphyllophytes with plant taxon authors from Anderson, Anderson & Cleal 2007.

Tracheophyta	†Rhyniopsida Eutracheophytes Lycopodiophytina Tippo sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Clubmosses, Spikemosses & Quillworts) Euphyllophytes †Eophyllophyton †Trimerophytopsida Megaphylla Moniliformopses Polypodiophytina Reveal 1966 sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Ferns) Radiatopses †Pertica Lignophytes †Aneurophytopsida Metalignophytes †Archaeopteridopsida †Protopityales Spermatophytina sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Seed plants)
	†Rhyniopsida

Eutracheophytes	Lycopodiophytina Tippo sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Clubmosses, Spikemosses & Quillworts) Euphyllophytes †Eophyllophyton †Trimerophytopsida Megaphylla Moniliformopses Polypodiophytina Reveal 1966 sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Ferns) Radiatopses †Pertica Lignophytes †Aneurophytopsida Metalignophytes †Archaeopteridopsida †Protopityales Spermatophytina sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Seed plants)
	Lycopodiophytina Tippo sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Clubmosses, Spikemosses & Quillworts)

Euphyllophytes	†Eophyllophyton †Trimerophytopsida Megaphylla Moniliformopses Polypodiophytina Reveal 1966 sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Ferns) Radiatopses †Pertica Lignophytes †Aneurophytopsida Metalignophytes †Archaeopteridopsida †Protopityales Spermatophytina sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Seed plants)
	†Eophyllophyton

	†Trimerophytopsida Megaphylla Moniliformopses Polypodiophytina Reveal 1966 sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Ferns) Radiatopses †Pertica Lignophytes †Aneurophytopsida Metalignophytes †Archaeopteridopsida †Protopityales Spermatophytina sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Seed plants)
	†Trimerophytopsida

Megaphylla	Moniliformopses Polypodiophytina Reveal 1966 sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Ferns) Radiatopses †Pertica Lignophytes †Aneurophytopsida Metalignophytes †Archaeopteridopsida †Protopityales Spermatophytina sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Seed plants)
Moniliformopses	Polypodiophytina Reveal 1966 sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Ferns)

Radiatopses	†Pertica Lignophytes †Aneurophytopsida Metalignophytes †Archaeopteridopsida †Protopityales Spermatophytina sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Seed plants)
	†Pertica

Lignophytes	†Aneurophytopsida Metalignophytes †Archaeopteridopsida †Protopityales Spermatophytina sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Seed plants)
	†Aneurophytopsida

Metalignophytes	†Archaeopteridopsida †Protopityales Spermatophytina sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Seed plants)
	†Archaeopteridopsida

	†Protopityales Spermatophytina sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Seed plants)
	†Protopityales

	Spermatophytina sensu Ruggiero et al. 2015 (Seed plants)