Consider the life cycle of a plant where the gametophyte is the dominant, independent, and photosynthetic phase, and the sporophyte is short-lived, parasitic, and completely dependent on the gametophyte. This life cycle pattern is characteristic of:
Correct: C
This description perfectly matches the life cycle of Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts). In bryophytes, the gametophyte is the prominent, free-living, and photosynthetic generation. The sporophyte, which produces spores, is short-lived and remains attached to the gametophyte, deriving nourishment from it, thus being partially or completely parasitic. In Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms, the sporophyte generation is dominant and independent, while the gametophyte is reduced and often dependent on the sporophyte for nutrition.