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Bryophyte Diversity: Liverworts, Mosses, and Hornworts

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Bryophytes divide into three lineages — liverworts, mosses, and hornworts — distinguished by gametophyte shape, spore-capsule structure, and presence of true leaves.

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A hornwort's sporophyte grows as a long, tapering horn, unlike a liverwort's flattened, lobed thallus or a leafy moss stem.

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These lineages are not necessarily closest relatives — grouping them as "bryophytes" reflects shared nonvascular traits, not settled ancestry.