Bryophyta
by Pappy November 18th, 2009, Posted in: Glossary
Bryophytes comprise the mosses (Class Musci), as well as liverworts (Class Hepaticae) and hornworts (Class Anthocerotae). They are believed to have been the first true plants, evolving from charophytes almost 500 million years ago. Unlike other plants, bryophytes do not have true organs, such as leaves, stems, or roots. In place of roots, most bryophytes have thin, hairy tubes called rhizoids that provide anchorage and nutrient uptake from the soil. The bryophyte life cycle is unique in having a dominant gametophyte generation. The actual green plant in mosses and worts is the gametophyte plant, while the sporophyte consists of simply an enclosed sporangium, typically atop a stalk.
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