Phylum Bryophyta

Phylum Bryophyta

Bryophytes include Liverworts, Hornworts and Mosses. Although most prefer a moist environment, some bryophytes will colonize bare ground. Together with lichens, they are the first plants to appear in a lifeless area. Though enormously successful in their large number of species distributed throughout the world, Bryophytes are all low-growing plants because they lack the internal food and water-conducting tissues plants need in order to grow to a large size. [CH] {ML}