adjective
- of or relating to plants that reproduce by spores rather than seeds, such as ferns, mosses, and algae
Usage: botanical term; formal
Examples
- Ferns are cryptogamous plants that thrive in moist, shaded environments.
- The botanist studied cryptogamous species to understand ancient plant reproduction methods.
- Mosses and liverworts are common examples of cryptogamous flora.
- Unlike flowering plants, cryptogamous organisms release spores into the air for reproduction.
- The forest floor was covered with cryptogamous plants including ferns and fungi.