The plants have not always been reproduced by seeds: some of the first to develop on the mainland were more primitive plants such as ferns, which are reproduced through other systems. These, among other plants and species, belong to the group known as cryptogams.
In this Ecology Verde article we want to teach you more about these plants that have no seeds. Do you dare to meet them a little better? Keep reading and discover What are cryptogam plants, their characteristics and examples.
What are cryptogam plants and their characteristics
Cryptogams are a whole Group formed by organisms with taxonomy of different kingdoms Like green algae, cyanobacteria, lichens and certain fungi, although when talking about them it is common to focus on plants that are reproduced by spores and not by seeds. His Latin name refers to that Its reproductive parts are hidden with the naked eye. This characteristic, together with its absence of structures, without seeds or flowers, They are the main ones that make a plant or organism considered cryptogam.
There are cryptogam plants capable of reproducing by spores and in a asexual waywhich means that they do not need another individual to continue multiplying, something very useful to gain ground in areas of difficult colonization, but without large variations in the conditions they offer. Other cryptogams Sexual and asexual reproductive cycles alternate In its different generations, which allows a combination of the advantages of both types of reproduction.
Are usually plants of both terrestrial and aquatic environmentsalthough their humidity needs make them more common in the latter. This is because they are organisms with tissues that the sun and dryness can damage, so They grow much better in shaded areas and next to the water.
Types of cryptogams plants
Cryptogams are divided into 3 large groups:
- Talofitas: They are plants that share the characteristic of having the so -called talo, a structure that causes roots, stems and leaves to be differentiated at the plant. In this group we can find The lichens, fungi and algae.
- The Brotophites: They are non -vascular plants. By not having vascular system as such and not having specialized structures for the transport of water and nutrients, they are plants of much smaller size and that require high levels of environmental humidity. They are bryophytes the liver, anthocers and mosses. We recommend reading the briophyte plants: examples and characteristics.
- Pteridophytes: They are the most evolved of their kind. They are vascular plants, which have developed xylem and phloem to transport water and nutrients throughout their body, so they also have roots, stems and leaves. We can find pteridophytes on almost the entire planet, from humid mountainous areas to tropical environments, as they are much more adaptable. Among them we find several subtypes, which are the Equise, psilophytes, lycopodians, isoeta and fernsmostly. To know more about pteridophytes, we recommend you read this article about pteridophyte plants: what are, types and examples.
Examples of cryptogams plants
These are some of the best known or representative examples of cryptogams:
- Red algae: Also called rodophytes, red algae receive their characteristic coloration of the ficocyanine and ficoratrine pigments they possess, that mask the other pigments that give their traditional green color to most plants, being chlorophyll A, the most important. There are about 8,000 species of these algae, almost all marine, which live in depths ranging from 40 to 200 meters. They are reproduced by spermatization and present digenetic or trigenetic biological cycles, the only organisms being the only organisms in sharing these complex cycles. You may also be interested in reading the classification of algae.
- Green algae: With more than 10,000 species throughout the planet, green algae are organisms of enormous importance that are closely related to terrestrial plants. They are divided into two clades, chlorophylls and carofíceas, which in turn are divided into more types, although basically the former correspond to marine algae and the latter to fresh water algae. Being so great their variety, it is difficult to find more common characteristics in them, although some of them are the presence of AyB chlorophyll, which allows them to perform photosynthesis. You may be interested in green algae: what are, characteristics, types and examples.
- Fern: They are living plants, common among plant lovers and gardening as indoor plants. They are reproduced by spores, which are generated in the underside of the leaves, in the so -called soros, doing these the function of the seeds. There are from a very young age, a few centimeters, others of a tree, such as the Australian fern tree, which reaches up to 15 meters high. Here we explain how ferns reproduce.
- Lickenes: They are symbiotic organisms in which algae and fungi have been associated. The part of the algae is made up of chlorophylls or cyanobacteria, while the fungus is almost always an ascomytal. Almost the entire body of the lichen belongs to the fungus, although the algae gives the association the ability to perform photosynthesis. In this article we tell you what the lichens and their types are.
Now that you know what cryptogams, their characteristics and examples are, you may also be interested in reading this ecology article about gymnosperms plants: what are, characteristics and examples.
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