Non-vascular plants include the green algae as well as those land plants without a vascular system. The non-vascular plants include several distantly related (and unrelated groups):

• Bryophytes - the Bryophyta (mosses), the Hepaticophyta (liverworts), and the Anthocerotophyta (hornworts). In these groups, the primary plants are haploid, with the only diploid portion being the attached sporophyte, consisting of a stalk and sporangium. Because these plants lack the water-conducting tissues, they fail to achieve the structural complexity and size of most vascular plants.
• Algae - especially the green algae. Recent studies have demonstrated that the algae actually consist of several unrelated groups. It turns out that common features of living in water and photosynthesis were misleading as indicators of close relationship. Only the green algae are still considered relatives of the plants.

Both of these groups may be termed the "lower" plants; the term "lower" refers to these plants' status as the earliest plants to evolve. However, the term "lower" plants is not precise, since it frequently is used to include some vascular plants, the ferns and fern allies.

Formerly, the term non-vascular plant not only included all the algae, but also the fungi as well. Today, it is recognized that these groups are not closely related to plants, and have a very different biology.

See also

Non-vascular plants | Plants