Short answers, pulled from the story.
English speakers coined the term pteridophyte on the 2nd of May 1880. The word is a Neo-Latin compound derived from the Greek word pterón meaning feather and the suffix -phyte meaning plant.
Pteridophytes include ferns, horsetails, and clubmosses. These organisms form the foundational layer of the vascular plant world and reproduce by spores rather than seeds.
Ferns account for nearly 90% of all extant pteridophyte species. The largest class Polypodiopsida contains approximately 10,535 species.
The term monilophytes was introduced by Kenrick and Crane in 1997 to replace the traditional grouping of ferns. This change was later established by Pryer et al. in 2004.
The life cycle features an alternation of generations where a diploid sporophyte is followed by a haploid gametophyte. The sporophyte is branched and larger with roots stems and leaves while the gametophyte is a free-living generation.
The Lepidodendrales were colossal lycophytes that could grow up to 30 meters tall. These ancient forms created dense humid swamps that eventually became coal deposits.