Fructifications typically consist of strobili.
Sphenophytes were widespread in the Carboniferous and Early Permian. Two major groups can be distinguished, the Calamitales and the Sphenophyllales. The calamites were rhizome-borne trees with secondary growth which could reach a height of up to 20 m. Most species are indicative for humid to wet environments. They often occurred in monotypic stands along the shorelines of lakes and rivers, probably comparable to modern reed vegetations.