bryophyte
nounUK /ˈbraɪəfaɪt/
US /ˈbraɪəfaɪt/
A bryophyte is a small green plant, like moss, that has no flowers and grows in damp places.
The rocks by the stream were covered with bryophytes.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. Any plant of the division Bryophyta, characterized by a life cycle dominated by the gametophyte stage.
Botanists classify mosses and liverworts as bryophytes.
3. A collective term for mosses, liverworts, and hornworts in ecological studies.
Bryophytes play an important role in retaining moisture in forest ecosystems.
4. An organism used as an indicator of air quality because it absorbs nutrients directly from the atmosphere.
Researchers sampled bryophytes to monitor pollution levels near the city.