What descriptive phrase fits non-vascular plants?

Ancient evolution, internal challenges, limited size, restricted space and water dependency are descriptive phrases that fit non-vascular plants. Non-vascular plants such as green algae, hornworts, liverworts and mosses count among the first life forms recognizable as plants, albeit without internal means for in-taking, processing and storing nutrients and water. They therefore never overcome the environmental challenge of being near moist earth or open water for food, lodging and reproduction or the spatial limit of the physical shape assumed for the environmental space that it fills.