Bryophytes and pteridophtyes

[Ben Tan]

Dear Everyone,

        Some people believe that the bryophytes with ca 14,000 species
worldwide is the second largest group of land plants next to the seed
plants.  I thought that the pteridophytes (with fern allies) would have more
species worldwide than the bryophytes.  Can anyone help by providing
reliable statistics and references in determining which is the second
largest group of land plants worldwide today?

Ben Tan
Farlow Herbarium, HUH

Benito C. Tan
Farlow Herbarium
Harvard University
22 Divinity Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138, USA