Streptophyta, informally the streptophytes (, from the Greek strepto 'twisted', for the morphology of the sperm of some members), is a clade of plants. The composition of the clade varies considerably between authors, but the definition employed here includes land plants and all green algae except the Chlorophyta and the more basal Prasinodermophyta.

Classifications

The composition of Streptophyta and similar groups (Streptophytina, Charophyta) varies in each classification. Some authors include only the Charales and Embryophyta (e.g., Streptophyta, Streptophytina Lewis & McCourt 2004 ), others include more groups (e.g., Charophyta Lewis & McCourt 2004; Karol et al. 2009; Adl et al. 2012, Streptophyta; de Reviers 2002; Leliaert et al. 2012, Streptobionta Kenrick & Crane 1997 ; some authors use this broader definition, but exclude the Embryophyta, e.g., Charophyta Leliaert et al. 2012, Charophyceae Mattox & Stewart, 1984 , Streptophycophytes de Reviers, 2002 ). The clade Streptophyta includes both unicellular and multicellular organisms. Streptophyta contains the freshwater charophyte green algae and all land plants that reproduce sexually by conjugation. Mesostigma viride, a unicellular green flagellate alga may be a basal Streptophyte. These earlier classifications have not taken into account that the Coleochaetophyceae and the Zygnemophyceae appear to have emerged in the Charophyceae + Embryophyta clade, resulting in the synonymy of the Phragmoplastophyta and Streptophytina/Streptophyta sensu stricto (a.k.a. Adl 2012 ) nomenclature.

Jeffrey, 1967

Lewis & McCourt 2004

Leliaert et al. 2012

Adl et al. 2012

Adl et al. 2019

Phylogeny

Below is a reconstruction of Streptophyta relationships, based on genomic data. Streptofilum, described in 2018, appears to bring in a new branching.