[Campbell Biology P.682] Based on the text, which statement accurately describes Psilotum wh... | Practice Question

Based on the text, which statement accurately describes Psilotum whisk ferns and Tmesipteris ?

  • A: They are well-known for their extensive root systems that branch at multiple points.
  • B: They were once considered 'living fossils' due to their resemblance to ancient relatives, but are now known to be closely related to ferns.
  • C: They are highly diverse genera, with hundreds of species found globally.
  • D: They absorb water and nutrients primarily through megaphyll leaves.

Explanation

The passage describes Psilotum and Tmesipteris as 'once were called "living fossils" because of their resemblance to fossils of ancient relatives of living vascular plants' and later states that 'much evidence... indicates that the genera Psilotum and Tmesipteris are closely related to ferns.' It also notes they absorb water and nutrients through 'numerous absorptive rhizoids'.