Psilopsida

noun

whisk ferns; comprising the family Psilotaceae or Psilotatae: vascular plants with no roots, partial if any leaf differentiation, and rudimentary spore sacs

• Syn: ↑class Psilopsida, ↑Psilotatae, ↑class Psilotatae

• Hypernyms: ↑class

• Member Holonyms: ↑Pteridophyta, ↑division Pteridophyta

• Member Meronyms: ↑Psilotales, ↑order Psilotales

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\\sīˈläpsədə\ noun plural

Usage: capitalized

Etymology: New Latin, from psil- + -opsida (as in lycopsida)

: a subdivision of Tracheophyta comprising vascular plants with no roots, leaves only partially differentiated or lacking, no leaf traces, a usually protostelic vascular cylinder, and the sporangia merely terminal enlargements of the stem — compare lycopsida, pteropsida, sphenopsida