Plants

Key Plants of the Carboniferous Period:

Club Mosses (Lycophytes):

Lepidodendron: This massive club moss reached up to 30 meters (100 feet) in height, resembling a penis. With its thick trunk and diamond-shaped bark pattern, it dominated the swampy forests of the Carboniferous. It reproduced using spores and grew in dense, swampy areas, contributing heavily to coal formation after it died and decayed.

Sigillaria: Another giant club moss, closely related to Lepidodendron, but with slightly different bark and branching structures. It also grew in dense forests and contributed to the vast plant material that would eventually turn into coal.

Ferns:

Ferns thrived during the Carboniferous, growing into giant trees in swampy areas. These non-seed plants were abundant and played a significant role in forming the dense forests that covered much of the Earth.

Arborescent Ferns: These tree-like ferns could grow up to 30 meters (100 feet) tall. They were an essential part of the Carboniferous forest ecosystem, creating vast, green landscapes that would eventually be replaced by seed plants.

Pteridosperms: (didnt make this shit up) These plants had characteristics of ferns but produced seeds rather than spores. They were crucial in the transition from spore-based reproduction to seed-based reproduction, paving the way for future seed-producing plants.

Horsetails (Equisetophytes):

Calamites: One of the most well-known horsetails of the Carboniferous, Calamites grew to 15 meters (50 feet) tall, resembling giant bamboo. These plants had jointed stems and spore-producing cones, thriving in the swampy, wet conditions that defined the period. They played a significant role in stabilizing the wetland ecosystems.

Equisetum: Modern-day horsetails are the descendants of these ancient plants. In the Carboniferous, they were much larger and more dominant, forming thick, forested areas in swampy landscapes.

Negroidalnobreather: A form of horsetail that is black in colour and is incapable of regular plant respiration. Discovered by Carboniferous Period gang member: George Floydihizer

Seed Ferns:

Medullosa: A large, tree-like plant that reproduced using seeds. Seed ferns were a critical step in the evolution of seed-producing plants. They were one of the first plants to transition away from spores, signaling the shift to more complex reproductive systems that would dominate in later periods.

Seed ferns like Medullosa also played a role in the formation of coal as their remains contributed to peat deposits in swampy environments.

Early Gymnosperms: (didnt make this shit up again)

Cordaites: These early gymnosperms had long, narrow leaves and grew in tree form, often up to 20 meters (65 feet) tall. They were some of the first plants to produce seeds, making them important for the evolutionary shift toward seed plants. While not as advanced as modern conifers, they represented an important evolutionary step.

Callistophytales: These plants were also among the early gymnosperms, contributing to the diversity of seed-producing plants during the Carboniferous.

Lycophytes and Sphenophytes:

Lepidodendron and Calamites were not just giant plants, but were part of the greater lycophyte and sphenophyte groups. They formed massive, towering forests in wetland environments, creating a landscape dominated by large, spore-producing plants.