A botanist discovers a new species of plant in a tropical rain forest. After observing its anatomy and life cycle, he notes the following characteristics: flagellated sperm, xylem with tracheids, separate gametophyte and sporophyte generations with the sporophyte dominant, and no seeds. This plant is probably most closely related to

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The presence of flagellated sperm indicates that the plant needs water for fertilization, which is a characteristic of non-seed plants. The presence of xylem with tracheids and separate gametophyte and sporophyte generations with the sporophyte dominant further narrow down the options to ferns, which have these characteristics. Gymnosperms and flowering plants have seeds, which are missing in this newly discovered species. Charophytes are a group of green algae and lack the characteristic features of the plant in question. Mosses also have flagellated sperm but their life cycle is dominated by the gametophyte generation.

A Botanist Discovers a New Species of Plant in a Tropical