A genus in the class Hepatica is Riccia. Worldwide it is known as moss. Their common name is liverwort. The genus Riccia has about 200 species. 45 species of this genus have been identified in Bangladesh. Some of the species found in Bangladesh are Riccia chittagogensis, Riccia dhakensis, Riccia gangeticus, Riccia discolor, Riccia amelli, Riccia crystallina, Riccia personii etc.

Bryophyta grow in terrestrial or moist terrestrial environments. They absorb water like aquatic plants. They need water for reproduction, growth and development. Like aquatic plants, they have stomata. During sexual reproduction, their sperm swim to the egg and fertilize it in the presence of water. That is, water is essential for their life cycle. Hence bryophytes are called amphibious plants.

(i) They are known as mosses.
(ii) Their gametophytes are cylindrical or thallus shaped and develop into protonema.
(iii) Their body is more like a stem and the genitalia are formed at the tip of the stem.
(iv) Their sporophytes are divided into pods, setae and capsules.
Examples: Funaria, Sphagnum, Pogonatum.

Hornworts are hornworts in which the sexual structure of mosses or gametophytes is horn-shaped.
(i) Their main plants are gametophytes. It is green and flat in structure.
(ii) Their sporophytes are partially self-sustaining.
(iii) They are developed and have columnar capsules.
(iv) Their thallus is heterolateral and recumbent. The genitalia are rooted on the surface of the thallus.
(v) They are found all over the world. Their number of species is 300.
Some hornworts- Anthoceros agrestis, Phaeoceros carolinianus, Ceratophyllum pollination, Folioceros amboinensis, Dendroceros crispus, Notothylas anaporata.

Liverworts or liver plants are those moss-like plants or gametophytes with liver-shaped leaves.
(i) They are gametophytic plants. The body is thallus in nature.
(ii) Their genitalia are located on the surface of the thallus. Pungdhani is pear shaped and stridhani is flask shaped.
(iii) They are small independent plants. Less than 10 cm in length and 2-20 mm in width.
(iv) They are widespread all over the world. It has 6,000 species in polar, desert and humid regions.
(v) They grow on soil, sand, stone, tree or any object.
A few liverworts- Riccia huebeneriana, Marchantia polymoroha, Asterella californica, Ricciocarpus natans.

Plants of the division Bryophyta are divided into three classes.
1. Hepaticae: Liverworts or liver plants are those moss-like plants or gametophytes with liver-shaped leaves.
(i) They are gametophytic plants. The body is thallus in nature.
(ii) Their genitalia are located on the surface of the thallus. Pungdhani is pear shaped and stridhani is flask shaped.
(iii) They are small independent plants. Less than 10 cm in length and 2-20 mm in width.
(iv) They are widespread all over the world. It has 6,000 species in polar, desert and humid regions.
(v) They grow on soil, sand, stone, tree or any object.
A few liverworts- Riccia huebeneriana, Marchantia polymoroha, Asterella californica, Ricciocarpus natans.
2. Anthocerotae: Hornworts are hornworts in which the sexual structure of mosses or gametophytes is horn-shaped.
(i) Their main plants are gametophytes. It is green and flat in structure.
(ii) Their sporophytes are partially self-sustaining.
(iii) They are developed and have columnar capsules.
(iv) Their thallus is heterolateral and recumbent. The genitalia are rooted on the surface of the thallus.
(v) They are found all over the world. Their number of species is 300.
Some hornworts- Anthoceros agrestis, Phaeoceros carolinianus, Ceratophyllum pollination, Folioceros amboinensis, Dendroceros crispus, Notothylas anaporata.
3. Musci
(i) They are known as mosses.
(ii) Their gametophytes are cylindrical or thallus shaped and develop into protonema.
(iii) Their body is more like a stem and the genitalia are formed at the tip of the stem.
(iv) Their sporophytes are divided into pods, setae and capsules.
Examples: Funaria, Sphagnum, Pogonatum.

Plants of the class Bryopsida are called true mosses. They have a ring-like peristome at the mouth of the capsule. 95% of moss plants are true moss. They grow all over the world and have over 12,000 species. Among them, Semibarbula is called carpet moss.
Examples: Semibarbula, Sphagnum, Polytrichum, Funaria etc.

The capsule of Anthocerotae plants consists of a columella, epidermis with stomata and dividing tissue at the base of the capsule.

1. The plant is haploid in nature.
2. Most plants are thalloid in nature.
3. They have no real roots.
4. They are avascular plants. That is, there is no transport tissue.
5. They are homosporous. ie produces the same type of spores.

1. Bryophyta are green, autophagous and self-sufficient plants.
2. They are multicellular, non-flowering and asexual plants.
3. They are mainly gametophyte (haploid). Gametophytes are large and long lasting.
4. Their bodies are thalloid, i.e. the body cannot be divided into roots, stems and leaves. However, mosses are divided into stems and leaves. Higher bryophyte bodies are divided into colloid (stem-like) and phylloid (leaf-like).
5. They have no roots. Roots are replaced by unicellular rhizoids. Some species have multicellular rhizoids.
6. They do not have transport canals or vascular bundles. That is, they are avascular plants.
7. Their bodies are made up of parenchyma cells only.
8. Their male genitalia are called antheridium and female genitalia are called archegonium.
9. Their antheridium is pear-shaped and archegonium is flask-shaped.
10. Their genitalia are multicellular and covered with a sterile sheath.
11. Their sexual reproduction is ogamous in nature. That is male gametes are small and motile and female gametes are large and stationary.
12. Fertilization occurs in water. That is, the fertilization process is dependent on water.
13. Their spermatozoa are bi-flagellated.
14. In their life cycle multicellular embryos are formed. Embryo development occurs in the venter of the female.
15. They are homosporous or homosporous. That is, they produce identical spores.
16. Several thallus are grouped together to form a rosette.
17. The sporophyte is partially or completely dependent on the gametophyte.
18. Advanced bryophytes are divided into sporophytes, setae and capsules.
19. Their spores germinate directly to form thallus or protonema.
20. In the life cycle of bryophytes there is a clear heteromorphic sequence.