Bryophyta

 Fig: Moss spp.

Fig: Marchantiophyta


1.Plant Kingdom 
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                    1. Cryptogamia                                                          2. Phenerogamia
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1. Thelophyat 2. Bryophyta 3. Pteridophyta


There are 960 genera and 24000 species of Bryophytes (Pandey, 1993).The word Bryophyta comes from Greek words Bryon(moss) & Phyton(plant).

Habitat:
We know plants grow in well two defined habitat. They are the water and land. The plants which grow in water are called aquatic and the others are terrestrial. The best examples of aquatic plants are Algae and terrestrial plants are seed plant. Between these two streams of habitat are terrestrial zone.

Water--Transitional zone--Land

This transitional zone is represented by Swamps & the ares where water and land meet. It may called "amphibious zone." Inhabiting the amphibians are the liverwarts, horwarts and mosses which collectively constitute a group of non vascular land plants called a Bryouphyta. That is why Bryophytes are called the Amphibian of Plant kingdom.
The Bryophytes are simple thallus like plant which suggest the stages through which the green algae may have evolved to become terrestrial. Most of the Bryophytes are land dwellers, which inhabit in dam, shaded and humid localities. A few of them however live in or float on water.
Examples:

1. Aquatic: Riccia ricciocarps, Flutans, Fontinalis antipyretica. 
2. Bogy(কাঁদা যুক্ত জায়গায় হয় এমন): Spphagnum spp., Deucabryum, Glaucum, Cephaloziq. 
3. Epiphyte(পরজীবি): All species of Dendroeceros.
4. Seprophyte(মৃতজীবি): Boxbaumia aphylla, Cryptothallus mirabillis, Radula protensa.

Note:
    * The plants vary in size from inconspicuous to exceeding 70cm in length. Example: Dawsonia.
    * Bryophytes are called Amphibian(উভচর) plant.
    * No roots are fromed in Bryophytes.