Moss

Mosses are small, nonvascular plants whose dominant life stage is a leafy gametophyte. They reproduce by spores produced in capsules on stalks.

Gametophyte: The haploid life-cycle stage that produces gametes in plants and algae. The leafy moss plant is its dominant gametophyte stage.
Bryophyte: A nonvascular land plant group encompassing mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Mosses are one major lineage within the bryophytes.
Sphagnum: A genus of mosses that forms peat and can hold large amounts of water. Sphagnum dominates many wetlands and creates much of the world's peat.
Liverwort: A nonvascular land plant lineage with leafy or flattened forms, distinct from mosses. Liverworts share nonvascular biology with mosses but differ in form and reproductive structures.
Sporophyte: The diploid life-cycle stage that produces spores in plants and algae. A moss sporophyte grows from the fertilized egg and bears a spore capsule.
Nonvascular plant: A plant that lacks specialized vascular tissues for transporting water and nutrients. Mosses lack xylem and phloem, limiting their height and transport capacity.
Peatland: A wetland where waterlogged conditions slow decay and allow peat to accumulate. Moss growth, especially Sphagnum, helps build peat and store carbon.
Hornwort: A nonvascular land plant lineage whose sporophytes grow as elongated hornlike structures. Hornwort sporophytes contrast with the stalked capsules typical of mosses.
Sporangium: A structure in which spores are produced and released. The moss capsule is a sporangium where meiosis forms spores.
Rhizoid: A rootlike filament that anchors a plant or fungus but does not function as a true root. Moss rhizoids anchor shoots without absorbing water like true roots.

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