Pteridophytes are known as vascular cryptogams (Gk kryptos = hidden + gamos= wedded). They reproduce by spores rather than seeds. They are the first vascular land plant.

The pteridophyte Equisetum belongs to the Class Sphenophyta. All vegetative parts of it possess vascular tissues (i.e., hadrome equivalent to xylem and leptome equivalent to phloem) organised in definite groups of steles.