INDEPENDENT EVOLUTIONARY PATH. "During higher plant evolution, plants drastically increased the complexity of their bodies, with recent angiosperms representing the most evolved plants. It seems that the first roots, shoots, and leaves evolved together with the evolution of the first xylem and phloem elements, representing the vascular system. Roots and shoots, as well as vascular elements, followed an independent evolutionary path in vascular plants." http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fcimb.2013.00044/full View in LinkedIn