A cryptogam (scientific name Cryptogamae) is a plant (in the wide sense of the word) or a plant-like organism that reproduces by spores, without flowers or seeds. The name Cryptogamae (from Ancient Greekκρυπτός (kruptós) 'hidden', and γαμέω (gaméō) 'to marry') means "hidden reproduction", referring to the fact that no seed is produced, thus cryptogams represent the non-seed bearing plants. Other names, such as "thallophytes", "lower plants", and "spore plants" are also occasionally used. As a group, Cryptogamae are the opposite of the Phanerogamae (from Ancient Greekφανερός (phanerós) 'visible') or Spermatophyta (from Ancient Greekσπέρματος (spérmatos) 'seed', and φυτόν (phutón) 'plant'), the seed plants. The best-known groups of cryptogams are algae, lichens, mosses, and ferns,[1] but it also includes non-photosynthetic organisms traditionally classified as plants, such as fungi, slime molds, and bacteria.[2] The classification is now deprecated in Linnaean taxonomy. Cryptogams have been classified into three sub-kingdoms: Thallophyta (thallophyte), Bryophyta (bryophyte), and Pteridophya (pteridophyte).
At one time, the cryptogams were formally recognised as a group within the plant kingdom. In his system for classification of all known plants and animals, Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) divided the plant kingdom into 24 classes,[3] one of which was the "Cryptogamia". This included all plants with concealed reproductive organs. He divided Cryptogamia into four orders: Algae, Musci (bryophytes), Filices (ferns), and Fungi.
cryptogam, confused, with, cryptogram, cryptogam, scientific, name, plant, wide, sense, word, plant, like, organism, that, reproduces, spores, without, flowers, seeds, name, from, ancient, greek, κρυπτός, kruptós, hidden, γαμέω, gaméō, marry, means, hidden, re. Not to be confused with cryptogram A cryptogam scientific name Cryptogamae is a plant in the wide sense of the word or a plant like organism that reproduces by spores without flowers or seeds The name Cryptogamae from Ancient Greek kryptos kruptos hidden and gamew gameō to marry means hidden reproduction referring to the fact that no seed is produced thus cryptogams represent the non seed bearing plants Other names such as thallophytes lower plants and spore plants are also occasionally used As a group Cryptogamae are the opposite of the Phanerogamae from Ancient Greek faneros phaneros visible or Spermatophyta from Ancient Greek spermatos spermatos seed and fyton phuton plant the seed plants The best known groups of cryptogams are algae lichens mosses and ferns 1 but it also includes non photosynthetic organisms traditionally classified as plants such as fungi slime molds and bacteria 2 The classification is now deprecated in Linnaean taxonomy Cryptogams have been classified into three sub kingdoms Thallophyta thallophyte Bryophyta bryophyte and Pteridophya pteridophyte Polystichum setiferum a fernGrimmia pulvinata a mossPelvetia canaliculata a brown algaHypholoma fasciculare a fungusAt one time the cryptogams were formally recognised as a group within the plant kingdom In his system for classification of all known plants and animals Carl Linnaeus 1707 1778 divided the plant kingdom into 24 classes 3 one of which was the Cryptogamia This included all plants with concealed reproductive organs He divided Cryptogamia into four orders Algae Musci bryophytes Filices ferns and Fungi Not all cryptogams are treated as part of the plant kingdom today the fungi in particular are regarded as a separate kingdom more closely related to animals than plants while blue green algae are now regarded as a phylum of bacteria Therefore in contemporary plant systematics Cryptogamae is not a taxonomically coherent group but is cladistically polyphyletic However all organisms known as cryptogams belong to the field traditionally studied by botanists and the names of all cryptogams are regulated by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae fungi and plants During World War II the British Government Code and Cypher School recruited Geoffrey Tandy a marine biologist expert in cryptogams to Station X Bletchley Park allegedly when someone confused these with cryptograms 4 5 6 See also editPlant to see how cryptogams are distributed across modern classification systemsReferences edit Cryptogams Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Archived from the original on 2007 11 18 Retrieved 2007 07 02 Smith Gilbert M 1938 Cryptogamic Botany Vol 1 McGraw Hill Dixon P S 1973 Biology of the Rhodophyta Oliver and Boyd Edinburgh ISBN 0 05 002485 X Smithies Sandy 19 January 1999 Television Tuesday Watching brief The Guardian Retrieved 23 July 2015 Davies Mike 20 January 1999 Cracking the code at last of Station X Birmingham Post Hanks Robert 20 January 1999 Television Review The Independent External links edit Acrogenae Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 1 11th ed 1911 p 155 nbsp This botany article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cryptogam amp oldid 1172254811, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
