The main characteristics of the Mosses are:

• The mosses are the plants which inhabit moist brick walls and they form a thick layer as a mat on forest floor as well as on the shaded trees.
• Mosses also require water as a medium for completing their life cycle.
• The gametophytic plant body has short stem and large number of whorls of leaves surrounding it.
• There is alternation of generation between the haploid gametophytic phase and the diploid sporophytic phase.
• The gametophytic phase produces the haploid gametes.
• The sperm is produced inside the antheridia and egg is produced inside the archegonia.
• Fertilization occurs resulting in the formation of the zygote which undergoes mitosis and forms the sporophyte.
• The gametophytic plant body anchor to the substratum by means of rhizoids.
• The sporophyte is attached to the gametophytic plant body. It lacks chlorophyll it depends on the photosynthetic gametophyte.
• The sporophyte consists of the foot, stalk and a capsule.
• By meiotic division the haploid spores are produced inside the capsule.
• As the spores matures the lid of the capsule get opened.