Biology / Unit 10 Bio 2173 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Bryophyte Diversity: Liverworts, Mosses, and Hornworts
Captions available
The idea
Bryophytes divide into three lineages — liverworts, mosses, and hornworts — distinguished by gametophyte shape, spore-capsule structure, and presence of true leaves.
In practice
A hornwort's sporophyte grows as a long, tapering horn, unlike a liverwort's flattened, lobed thallus or a leafy moss stem.
Where people slip
These lineages are not necessarily closest relatives — grouping them as "bryophytes" reflects shared nonvascular traits, not settled ancestry.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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