Cryptogam (Noun)
Meaning
Formerly recognized taxonomic group including all flowerless and seedless plants that reproduce by means of spores: ferns, mosses, algae, fungi.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- Historically, cryptogams were classified as a distinct group within the plant kingdom, but modern taxonomy no longer recognizes this classification.
- In the 19th century, botanists considered ferns and mosses to be typical examples of cryptogams due to their spore-based reproductive strategies.
- Cryptogams were often distinguished from flowering plants by their lack of seeds and the presence of spores in their life cycle.
- Fungi were initially classified as cryptogams due to their spore-based reproduction, but are now recognized as a distinct kingdom within the eukaryotes.
- Early taxonomists placed algae in the category of cryptogams due to their ability to reproduce by means of spores.