A small, non-vascular plant characterized by a horn-like sporophyte that grows directly from the flattened gametophyte body. Hornworts are distinguished from other bryophytes by their unique chloroplasts and continuous growth of the sporangium.
Named for the distinctive horn-shaped sporophyte that emerges from the plant body, from Old English 'horn' plus 'wort' meaning plant. The term reflects the most recognizable feature that distinguishes these plants from mosses and liverworts.
Hornworts are the rebels of the plant kingdom with chloroplasts that look more like those of algae than land plants, suggesting they may have independently evolved from aquatic ancestors! Their sporophytes can keep growing for months, unlike the single-shot reproduction of most other bryophytes.
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