What is "vascular plant"

n. (context botany English): Any plant possessing vascular tissue (xylem and phloem), including ferns, conifers, and flowering plants.

n. green plant having a vascular system: ferns, gymnosperms, angiosperms [syn: tracheophyte]

Vascular plants (from Latin vasculum: duct), also known as tracheophytes (from the equivalent Greek term trachea) and also higher plants, form a large group of plants (ca 308,312 accepted known species ) that are defined as those land plants that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified tissue (the phloem) to conduct products of photosynthesis. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, horsetails, ferns, gymnosperms (including conifers) and angiosperms ( flowering plants). Scientific names for the group include Tracheophyta and Tracheobionta.