Flexi Says: Nonvascular plants evolved first. They are distinct from the algae because they keep the embryo inside of the reproductive structure after fertilization. These plants do not have vascular tissue, xylem or phloem, to transport nutrients, water, and food. Examples include mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Without vascular tissue, these plants do not grow very tall. Seedless vascular plants evolved to have vascular tissue after the nonvascular plants but do not have seeds. Examples include the ferns, whisk ferns, club mosses, and horsetails. Vascular tissue allowed these plants to grow taller.
