Metzgeriales

Metzgeriales is an order of liverworts. The group is sometimes called the simple thalloid liverworts: "thalloid" because the members lack structures resembling stems or leaves, and "simple" because their tissues are thin and relatively undifferentiated. All species in the order have a small gametophyte stage and a smaller, relatively short-lived, spore-bearing stage. Although these plants are almost entirely restricted to regions with high humidity or readily available moisture, the group as a whole is widely distributed, and occurs on every continent except Antarctica.

== Description == Members of the Metzgeriales typically are small and thin enough to be translucent, with most of the tissues only a single cell layer in thickness. Because these plants are thin and relatively undifferentiated, with little evidence of distinct tissues, the Metzgeriales are sometimes called the "simple thalloid liverworts".