Liverworts and hornworts are non-vascular land plants (bryophytes sensu lato) that occupy key positions in early land-plant evolution and are important models for studying plant development, phylogeny, and plant–microbe interactions. They lack true roots, have dominant gametophyte generations, and rely on spores for dispersal, with water-dependent fertilization via motile sperm. Liverworts typically exhibit thalloid or leafy morphologies with simple tissue organization and oil bodies, whereas hornworts possess persistent, horn-like sporophytes with basal meristems and often large chloroplasts per cell. Both groups contribute to soil formation, nutrient cycling, and provide insights into the origin of plant signaling pathways and stress responses.
A Hiroshima-University-led research team has discovered a key gene responsible for the initiation of gemma development, acting as a "master switch" to start asexual reproduction (cloning) in the model plant Marchantia polymorpha ...
Plants & Animals
May 4, 2026
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An international team of researchers has uncovered a remarkable molecular trick used by a unique group of land plants, one that could eventually be engineered into crops like wheat and rice to dramatically boost how efficiently ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Mar 5, 2026
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Research on using Marchantia polymorpha, commonly known as liverwort, a plant closely related to moss, for food and as an ingredient in medicine and supplements is being conducted at Kobe University.
Plants & Animals
Jan 22, 2026
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102
The tallest plants alive today can grow to over 100 meters tall. But they evolved from ancestors that were just a few centimeters high.
Evolution
Dec 18, 2025
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Researchers at the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), have uncovered a long-sought mechanism employed by primitive land plants such as bryophytes (including mosses and liverwort) to regulate plant ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 1, 2025
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60
Evolutionary plant biologists at the University of Toronto (U of T) have identified a protein that evolved approximately 500 million years ago, enabling plants to convert light into energy through photosynthesis as they moved ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 31, 2025
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30
Studying plant vegetative reproduction is key to increasing crop yield and for bioengineering. Kobe University research is making progress in studying the genetic regulation of the process in liverworts, which are ideal model ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 30, 2025
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