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Which plants are included in the bryophytes?

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Thick green bryophyte moss covers the trunks of three oak trees in a forest, with fallen leaves on the ground. — Bryophyte Bryophyte moss growing on oak trees.

The term bryophytes is an informal grouping used to refer to three distinct divisions of nonvascular, terrestrial plants:

Mosses: These belong to the division Bryophyta.12
Liverworts: These are classified in the division Marchantiophyta.12
Hornworts: These are classified in the division Anthocerotophyta.123

While these three groups were historically placed together within a single division, modern taxonomic revisions—supported by molecular evidence—have separated them into their own distinct divisions. Despite this, the term "bryophyte" remains widely used to describe these simple plants, which are characterized by their lack of specialized vascular tissue (xylem and phloem) and their reliance on moisture for reproduction.231