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bryophyte

Also known as bryophytes, Bryophyta sensu lato

thumb|An example of moss (Bryophyta) on the forest floor in Broken Bow, Oklahoma

AI overview

Bryophytes are small plants like mosses that grow close to the ground in moist environments such as forest floors. They matter because they help break down dead material, retain moisture in ecosystems, and serve as food and habitat for small creatures.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: Divisiones bryophytarum.png

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taxon name: Bryophytes
Commons category: Bryophytes
Commons gallery: Bryophytes

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~15 min read

Article

18 sections

Contents

Features
Distribution
Life cycle
Sexuality
Classification and phylogeny
Monophyletic view
Paraphyletic view
Traditional morphology{{anchor|Taxonomy}}
Evolution
Similarities to algae and vascular plants
Comparative morphology
Uses
Environmental
Commercial
See also
References
Bibliography
External links

thumb|An example of moss (Bryophyta) on the forest floor in Broken Bow, Oklahoma

Bryophytes () are a group of land plants (embryophytes), sometimes treated as a taxonomic division referred to as 'Bryophyta sensu lato, that contains three groups of non-vascular land plants: the liverworts, hornworts, and mosses. In the strict sense, the division Bryophyta' consists of the mosses only. Bryophytes are characteristically limited in size and prefer moist habitats although some species can survive in drier environments. The bryophytes consist of about 20,000 plant species. Bryophytes produce enclosed reproductive structures (gametangia and sporangia), but they do not produce flowers or seeds. They reproduce sexually by spores and asexually by fragmentation or the production of gemmae.