EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Liverworts are tiny nonvascular plants that have leaf-like, lobed, or ribbon-like photosynthetic tissues rather than leaves. Their rhizoids are very fine, they lack stems, and they are generally less than 10 centimeters (4 inches) tall. They often grow in colonies that carpet the ground.

Detailed explanation-2: -Nonvascular plants absorb water and nutrients from the ground so they remain close to the ground to access water.

Detailed explanation-3: -They lack a vascular system (plumbing system) to move water and nutrients throughout the plant. For this reason, they grow close to the ground to absorb water and nutrients. Seedless plants also rely on free-standing water for reproduction. A sperm produced by a male must swim through rainwater or dew to reach an egg.

Detailed explanation-4: -Nonvascular plants (often referred to collectively as the bryophytes) include three groups: the mosses (Bryophyta), approximately 15, 000 species; liverworts (Hepaticophyta), approximately 7500 species; and hornworts (Anthocerophyta), approximately 250 species (Table 1).

Detailed explanation-5: -Nonvascular plants lack seeds and vascular tissue. These plants are very short because they cannot move nutrients and water up a stem.