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Four Classes of Pteridophytes: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Sphenopsida, Pteropsida

Biology · Plant Kingdom · NEET

NCERT divides pteridophytes into four classes. Psilopsida has Psilotum, Lycopsida has Selaginella and Lycopodium, Sphenopsida has Equisetum, and Pteropsida has the true ferns like Dryopteris, Pteris and Adiantum. Memory hook: "PLSP = Psilotum, Lycopodium, hoSetail (Equisetum), Ferns" - just remember the order Psilo-Lyco-Spheno-Ptero goes with Psilotum-Selaginella-Equisetum-Adiantum.
Pteridophytes: 4 Classes and ExamplesPteridophytesPsilopsidaLycopsidaSphenopsidaPteropsidaPsilotumSelaginella,LycopodiumEquisetum(horsetail)Dryopteris, Pteris,Adiantum (ferns)
The four NCERT classes of pteridophytes with their standard example genera - the exact matching NEET tests. Learn them in order: Psilopsida-Psilotum, Lycopsida-Selaginella/Lycopodium, Sphenopsida-Equisetum, Pteropsida-ferns.

Your doubts, answered

What are the four classes of pteridophytes and one example of each?

NCERT lists exactly four: Psilopsida (example Psilotum), Lycopsida (examples Selaginella and Lycopodium), Sphenopsida (example Equisetum), and Pteropsida (examples Dryopteris, Pteris, Adiantum). For NEET, learn one clean example per class: Psilopsida-Psilotum, Lycopsida-Selaginella, Sphenopsida-Equisetum, Pteropsida-Adiantum. This exact matching was asked in NEET 2023.

Which class does Equisetum belong to?

Equisetum belongs to Sphenopsida. Equisetum is the horsetail. A common trap is to think a horsetail is a gymnosperm because of the word 'tail' or its cone-like tips, but it is a pteridophyte in class Sphenopsida. ReNEET 2026 directly asked 'Sphenopsida class belongs to ___' and the answer was pteridophytes.

Which class does Selaginella belong to?

Selaginella belongs to Lycopsida, along with Lycopodium (club moss). Do not confuse this: Selaginella is also famous for being heterosporous, but for class matching it goes under Lycopsida, not under any special heterospory class. In NEET 2023 the pair Lycopsida was matched with Selaginella.

Is Psilotum a moss or a pteridophyte?

Psilotum is a pteridophyte in class Psilopsida. The name looks like 'psilo' and students confuse it with mosses, but Psilotum has vascular tissue (xylem and phloem) which true mosses lack. Psilopsida is the simplest class of pteridophytes.

Are ferns a separate group or part of pteridophytes?

True ferns are part of pteridophytes and form the class Pteropsida. Dryopteris, Pteris and Adiantum are all Pteropsida ferns. So a 'fern' is not a group above pteridophytes - it is one of the four classes inside pteridophytes.

How do I quickly memorise the class-example matches for NEET?

Keep the classes in NCERT order (Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Sphenopsida, Pteropsida) and pair them with (Psilotum, Selaginella/Lycopodium, Equisetum, Adiantum/Pteris/Dryopteris). Trick: Psilopsida starts with P like Psilotum. Sphenopsida = 'S' sound = horSetail Equisetum. This is important because NEET repeatedly asks you to match the class to its genus.

⚠️ The NEET trap
✗ Equisetum (horsetail) is a gymnosperm, or Sphenopsida is placed outside pteridophytes.
✓ Equisetum is a pteridophyte in class Sphenopsida; all four classes (Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Sphenopsida, Pteropsida) are pteridophytes.
🧠 The word 'horsetail' and its cone-like tips fool students into saying gymnosperm - but ReNEET 2026 confirms Sphenopsida = pteridophytes.

Real NEET questions

NEET 2023 Phase 2

Match List-I with List-II. List-I: (A) Pteropsida (B) Lycopsida (C) Psilopsida (D) Sphenopsida. List-II: (I) Psilotum (II) Equisetum (III) Adiantum (IV) Selaginella. Choose the correct answer.

A · (A)-(II), (B)-(III), (C)-(IV), (D)-(I)
B · (A)-(III), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(II) ✓
C · (A)-(II), (B)-(III), (C)-(I), (D)-(IV)
D · (A)-(III), (B)-(I), (C)-(IV), (D)-(II)
Solution: The four classes and their NCERT examples: Pteropsida-Adiantum (III), Lycopsida-Selaginella (IV), Psilopsida-Psilotum (I), Sphenopsida-Equisetum (II). This gives (A)-(III), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(II), which is option B.
ReNEET 2026

Sphenopsida class belongs to _____________.

A · bryophytes
B · angiosperms
C · gymnosperms
D · pteridophytes ✓
Solution: Sphenopsida (example Equisetum, the horsetail) is one of the four classes of pteridophytes - vascular spore-bearing plants. It is not a bryophyte, gymnosperm or angiosperm. So the answer is pteridophytes.

Solved Plant Kingdom NEET PYQs

Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.

See all 35 Plant Kingdom NEET PYQs ›
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Frequently asked

What are the four classes of pteridophytes?

Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Sphenopsida and Pteropsida. Examples in the same order: Psilotum; Selaginella and Lycopodium; Equisetum; and ferns like Dryopteris, Pteris and Adiantum.

Which pteridophyte class contains Equisetum?

Sphenopsida. Equisetum is the horsetail and it is the standard NCERT example for the class Sphenopsida.

Which class has Selaginella and Lycopodium?

Lycopsida. Selaginella (spike moss, heterosporous) and Lycopodium (club moss) are both placed in Lycopsida.

Is Psilotum the simplest pteridophyte?

Yes, Psilotum in class Psilopsida is the simplest and most primitive pteridophyte, but it still has true vascular tissue, unlike mosses.

Do ferns belong to pteridophytes?

Yes. True ferns form the class Pteropsida, which is one of the four classes of pteridophytes. Examples are Dryopteris, Pteris and Adiantum.

Related concepts:
What Are Pteridophytes: First Land Plants with Vascular TissueDifference Between Homosporous and Heterosporous PlantsWhat Is a Prothallus: The Gametophyte of FernsWhat Are Gymnosperms: Why Their Seeds Are Called NakedImportant Genera to Remember: Match the Plant to Its Group
Practise Biology for NEET:
Biology MCQs (free, chapter-wise)Plant Kingdom PYQs