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What is the Kingdom plantae?

Plants come in a variety of types.

For example, single-celled algae, huge trees, etc.

Based on their morphology, they are classified into two major classes:

• Cryptogams – They are the lower plants that do not have flowers or
• Phanerogams – They are all the plants that have flowers or flower-like

What are Cryptogams?

The lower plants that do not have flowers or seeds are called Cryptogams or Cryptogamae. All the non-flowering plants are included in this category. They are further classified into three major categories:

(i) Thallophytes

• They are the lowest of all
• They do not have a well-differentiated body into roots, stem, or leaves and show the presence of a Thallus, an undifferentiated mass of
• Since the body is undifferentiated, it does not have a vascular or a conducting
• These types of plants include algae, spirogyra, ulothrix, and other unicellular plants that occupy the marine
• They can be either microscopic like the Chlamydomonas or huge structures like the

Thallophytes         Chlamydomonas and Kelps

• Bryophytes
  • They are known as the amphibians of the plant world. They spend a definite part of their life cycle in the water while the other part on
  • This category is further divided into two major classes as Liverworts and Mosses.
  • Liverworts have a thallus-like body which appears to be flat and ribbon-shaped.
  • The leaf-like structures are the complete plant So there is no specific root, stem, or leaf structure.
  • The whole plant is composed of flat ribbon-like structures. For example, riccia and marchantia.
  • Mosses are slightly different and appear to have a leaf-like structure that is too tiny to be viewed with naked
  • Reproduction in such plants occurs with the help of
  • The plant body does not have a well-defined vascular

           Liverworts and Mosses

• Pteridophytes
  • They include plants such as
  • The curls and the structure of their leaves have several applications including Thus, they are commonly used as ornamental plants.
  • They are considered as an important link in the study of evolution as they are the first terrestrial plants to possess vascular So, they possess xylem and phloem for water and food conduction but the tissues are not highly developed.
  • Pteridophytes reproduce using spores. They are dependent on several factors like wind and water for dispersal of their spores to

Ferns