Step 1: Understanding the groups of plants.
The order in which different plant groups appeared on earth is based on their evolutionary history.
- Angiosperms (A): These are the most recent group of plants, characterized by flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed within a fruit. They are the most diverse and abundant group of plants today.
- Seed ferns (B): These plants were among the first to produce seeds, but they are now extinct. They appeared before angiosperms and were present during the late Paleozoic era.
- Rhynia type plants (C): These are some of the earliest known vascular plants that appeared around 400 million years ago, during the Silurian period. They did not have true roots, leaves, or vascular tissue like modern plants.
- Psilophyton (D): These were some of the earliest land plants, appearing before Rhynia. They were simple, vascular plants with no roots or leaves, and they represent one of the first steps in plant evolution on land.
Step 2: Arranging the groups in order of appearance.
The groups of plants appeared in the following order:
- Psilophyton (D): One of the first plants to appear on land.
- Rhynia type plants (C): Appeared after Psilophyton, with more complex features like vascular tissues.
- Seed ferns (B): Followed the earlier plants, marking the appearance of seed-producing plants.
- Angiosperms (A): The last to appear, with the development of flowering plants.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct order of appearance from the earliest to the most recent is: (C), (D), (B), (A).
Final Answer:
\[
\boxed{\text{The correct answer is (1) (C), (D), (B), (A).}}
\]