Premise of research. The Early Devonian Rhynie chert is an invaluable source for studying the morphology, ecology, and life cycles of early land plants, but information regarding morphological development in the Rhynie chert plants is sorely lacking.Methodology. Serial petrographic thin sectioning of the Rhynie chert reveals asexual propagules developing from the epidermal cells in the axes of the plant Rhynia gwynne-vaughanii. Three distinct developmental stages recording the formation of stomata, rhizoids, apical growth, and vascular tissue were observed. Similar propagules are also found developing from hemispherical projections, also on the axes of Rhynia.Pivotal results. The developmental pattern resembles that seen in somatic embryogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction that occurs naturally in extant plants as well as in in vitro, producing nutritionally independent plantlets from somatic plant cells.Conclusions. Our new observations on these propagules significantly contribute to a better underst...