what are cryptogames?
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Answer:
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 κρυπτός (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 Greek φανερός (phanerós) 'visible') or Spermatophyta (from Ancient Greek σπέρματος (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.