Bryophytes are an informal, non-taxonomical classification of land plants. They are one of the broadest classifications for land plants alongside vascular plants. Bryophytes are also known as non-vascular plants, and they are differentiated from vascular plants via the absence of vascular tissue.
Bryophytes are small, thin plants. The absence of vascular tissue curtails bryophytesβ ability to circulate water, minerals, and sugars, preventing the majority of bryophytes from growing substantially large. All bryophytes are herbs; the category includes the phyla Bryophyta, Hepatophyta, and Anthocerophyta, commonly known as the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.