Bryophyte is a traditional name used to refer to all embryophytes (land plants) that do not have true vascular tissue and are therefore called 'non-vascular plants'.
Some bryophytes do have specialized tissues for the transport of water; however since these do not contain lignin, they are not considered to be true vascular tissue.
Currently bryophytes are thought not to be a natural or monophyletic group; however the name is convenient and remains in use as a collective term. Bryophytes produce enclosed reproductive structures (gametangia and sporangia), but they produce neither flowers nor seeds, reproducing via spores. The term
bryophyte comes from Greek
βρύον -
bryon, "tree-moss, oyster-green" +
φυτόν -
fyton "plant".