Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: Whisk fern

Family: Psilotaceae (Whiskfern)

Distribution: Cosmopolitan

Comments: Whether they arose independently or evolved from more primitive plants such as the green algae is still debated by scientists. Another question that remains unresolved is whether the Psilophytes were the predecessors to the modern flora of the world, or evolutionary “dead ends” that have become practically extinct as more advanced plant forms appeared.