Who is the father of Bryophytes?

The term bryophyte is traditionally used for nonvascular seedless plants such as mosses (division Bryophyta), hornworts (division Anthocerotophyta), and liverworts (division Marchantiophyta). Although most bryophytes lack complex tissues, they show great diversity in form and ecology.

Bryophytes do not produce flowers or seeds. Instead, they have special reproductive structures called gametangia and sporangia, and they reproduce through spores. While research results differ, bryophytes are generally considered a paraphyletic group rather than a monophyletic one. Despite this, the term remains convenient and is widely used. The word "bryophyte" comes from the Greek bryon meaning “tree-moss, oyster-green” and phyton meaning “plant.”

Johanne Hedwig, a German botanist, is recognized as the “Father of Bryology” for his extensive studies on mosses. In India, Shiv Ram Kashyap is regarded as the “Father of Indian Bryology.” Bryology is the scientific study of bryophytes.

Like all land plants (embryophytes), bryophytes have alternation of generations in their life cycle. The haploid gametophyte stage (with unpaired chromosomes) alternates with the diploid sporophyte stage (with paired chromosomes). Gametophytes produce haploid sperm and eggs, which fuse to form a diploid zygote. The zygote then develops into a sporophyte.

Thus, Johanne Hedwig is honored as the “Father of Bryology.”