Conceptual illustration depicting a Silurian landscape as the first plants appeared on land. During the Silurian Period, from 443 million to 416 million years ago, vascular plants began to colonize the land. These primitive plants include Bryophytes such as moss, hornworts and liverworts. Cooksonia, the first known plant to have an upright stalk, and vascular tissue. Baragwanathia, a genus of extinct lycopsid plant and the giant fungi Prototaxites.