lycopodiales

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. An order of vascular cryptogamic plants of the phylum Pteridophyta, coördinate with the Filicales and Equisetales. It is divided into two groups, according to the presence or absence of the ligule in the leaves. It contains four families of living and two of fossil or extinct plants. The Lycopodiaceæ and Psilotaceæ are destitute of the ligule (Lycopodiales eligulatæ of Engler). The Selaginellaceæ and Isoëtaceæ are ligulate (Lycopodiales ligulatæ of Engler). The two extinct families, Lepidodendraceæ and Sigillariaceæ, are placed by Engler in the ligulate group.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. lower vascular plants coextensive with the family Lycopodiaceae; in some classifications includes the Selaginellaceae and Isoetaceae