Non-flowering plants are those that do not produce flowers, and they are divided into two main groups: those that reproduce with spores and those that use seeds to reproduce. The following are some examples of non-flowering plants:
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Ferns: These are green plants with leaves, often called fronds, that resemble fiddleheads in spring before they unroll. Ferns produce spores on the undersides of their leaves.
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Clubmosses: These are perennial, evergreen plants with creeping stems that send up erect branches. Although small, they are much larger than the ordinary mosses they resemble.
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Horsetails: These are plants with jointed, hollow stems and scale-like leaves. They reproduce by spores.
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Mosses: These are small, non-vascular plants that grow in damp environments. They reproduce by spores.
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Lichens: These are composite organisms consisting of a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, such as algae or cyanobacteria. They reproduce by spores.
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Fungi: These are a separate kingdom of organisms that include mushrooms and other types of fungi. They reproduce by spores.
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Conifers: These are gymnosperms, which means they are a type of vascular plant that reproduce via an exposed seed. They bear male and female cones that pollinate and spread.
Non-flowering plants lack the beautiful flowers of their seed-producing counterparts, but they are attractive and interesting in their own right.