Prehistoric Looking Houseplants

[DinoLord]

Anyone know of some hardier prehistoric-looking houseplants that can be grown indoors? Am looking for taller plants mainly. Am looking for plants that are either descendants of plants that were present in the Mesozoic era, or look like something from that era.

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

Serenna veriformans is probably a perfect species for you! I keep a pair of King Sago, Cycas revoluta on either side of my desk, mine are large, but not so much in therms of height, but they can grow to be taller and it is certainly possible to buy a taller one, even off of eBay if you want. Also for cycads, are dioon and encephalartos (I think Dioon edule is rather hardy). I also have a small Araucaria heterophylla, a relative of the famous Araucaria araucana, or Monkey Puzzle. While I'm mentioning araucaria, I think it is worth noting that agathis and wollemia are also available, but are rather uncommon and can fetch high prices. About a year ago, I was looking to buy a podocarpus, which are readily available in greenhouse stores, I think the one I would have picked up was around $70 USD. Tree-ferns are also great choices, particularly dicksonia and cyathea, I had one or the other (not sure, really,) and it shortly died from an unknown cause. Giant Mexican horsetails are an option, as well as ginkos and cypress. Lastly, I have tons of asparagus ferns which I planted a while ago, A. virgatus, A. sprengeri, and Asparagus meyersii.

[DinoLord]

I also have a small Araucaria heterophylla, a relative of the famous Araucaria araucana, or Monkey Puzzle. While I'm mentioning araucaria, I think it is worth noting that agathis and wollemia are also available, but are rather uncommon and can fetch high prices. About a year ago, I was looking to buy a podocarpus, which are readily available in greenhouse stores, I think the one I would have picked up was around $70 USD. Tree-ferns are also great choices, particularly dicksonia and cyathea, I had one or the other (not sure, really,) and it shortly died from an unknown cause. Giant Mexican horsetails are an option, as well as ginkos and cypress. Lastly, I have tons of asparagus ferns which I planted a while ago, A. virgatus, A. sprengeri, and a third, the name of which I do not remember. I know it was a lot to read through, but, this is about all I can remember at the moment, I hope it helps. 

EDIT: It was Asparagus meyersii, which I planted, or something like that, Amborella is also a primitive-looking angiosperm

Thank you for all the info. I actually have a specimen of Araucaria heterophylla currently that's doing pretty well; perhaps I should get more for what I have in mind. I have looked at the wollemia but have been unable to source it in the U.S. If you know of a source that'd be greatly appreciated. The Podocarpus seem cool but are too big for the space I'm working with.

Am currently leaning towards the Araucaria heterophylla and tree ferns (& wollemia if I can find it). Am curious about the horsetails. Has anyone here grown them indoors before?

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

As said earlier, Wollemia nobilis is nearly nonexistant, and can fetch rather high prices, I think there's one on eBay right now, I'll check...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RAREST-TREE-in-the-WORLD-Wollemia-nobilis-/230839034303?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35bf1421bf
$275 plus $113 to ship, its a four-foot specimen in a seven gallon pot.

[irimali]

I've been looking for a while for non-flowering plants too.  araucaria heterophylla is a good one, i've had one for a year and not killed it yet so they're pretty hardy.  Cycas revoluta is easy to find, just don't overwater like i did   With other cycads i'd look into where they come from.  Some species are endangered from overharvesting in the wild.  Some conservatories do sell rare species they propagate themselves to reduce demand for illegal collection. 

Horsetails need a lot of sun so you may need a south facing window to keep them happy indoors.  I bought some equisetum arvense at a garden store last year.  I keep them outside in summer.  In winter i have to move them indoors (winter here in wisconsin would kill them) and they turned brown but kept sending up a few skinny little shoots.  Just moved them back outside so hopefully they'll fill out again.

there's also club mosses available:

http://huperzia.blogspot.com/2010/06/huperzia-for-sale_17.html

even more ancient then cycads and araucaria and some of the hanging basket types get really big and look really cool.