It is used as a form genus for fossil plants with leafless flattened stems which divided dichotomously and had prominent midribs regarded as containing vascular tissues.

[3] Key features of the original definition of the genus Taeniocrada were that it possessed leafless flattened stems with prominent midribs which appeared to contain vascular tissues.

Taeniocrada decheniana, from the Lower Devonian,[2] had separate fertile stems which repeatedly branched in a dichotomous fashion ending in sporangia between 3 and 7 mm long.

[3] Taeniocrada dubia, from the Lower Devonian,[2] was originally considered to be a rhyniophyte, i.e. a very early vascular plant, but this has been questioned.

[5]) It was basically a form genus, used for fossil plants with flattened membrane-like stems, which were leafless with a prominent central thickened strand and which showed dichotomous branching.

[6] Following Taylor (1986), Crane et al. (2004) regard Taeniocrada as a polyphyletic genus (i.e. a mixture of species with no close common ancestor).