What is "cryptophyte"

n. 1 (context biology English) Any plant whose buds overwinter either below ground, or under water 2 (context biology English) A cryptomonad

n. common in fresh and salt water appearing along the shore as algal blooms [syn: cryptomonad]

Cryptophyte may refer to:

• a plant which survives the unfavorable season underground or underwater in the Raunkiær plant life-form classification
• Cryptomonad, or Cryptophyte, a single-celled organism of the phylum Cryptophyta, most of which are photosynthetic