Complex sentence: The term "bryophyte" thus refers to a grade of lineages defined primarily by what they lack: compared to other living land plants, they lack vascular tissue containing lignin; compared to all other land plants, they lack branched sporophytes bearing multiple sporangia.
Split into simpler sentences: The term "bryophyte" thus refers to a grade of lineages defined primarily by what they lack. Compared to other living land plants, they lack vascular tissue containing lignin and branched sporophytes bearing multiple sporangia.