Key facts
UNE unit code: BOTY370
*You are viewing the 2026 version of this unit which may be subject to change in future.
- Trimester 1 - Online
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- 6
Unit information
Cryptogams are not only mushrooms and mosses but include a wide range of land plant and fungal diversity, including the lichens. Although they are often overlooked in favour of flowering plants, cryptogams are highly diverse and occur all over the world, including in Australia where many fascinating cryptogams have unique and important ecological roles.
In this unit, you will learn to identify cryptogams using keys and other modern diagnostic tools and hone your knowledge of their biology. You will explore the roles that cryptogams play in the environment and how they interact with other organisms, and how they can also be detrimental to the native ecosystems and agriculture.
Practical exercises will ensure that you can integrate theoretical knowledge with technical skills in cryptogam collection and identification.
Offerings
For further information about UNE's teaching periods, please go to Principal Dates.
| Teaching period | Mode/location |
|---|---|
| Trimester 1 | Online |
*Offering is subject to availability
Intensive schools
| Start | Finish | Duration | Attendance | Offerings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | TBA | 4 days | Mandatory Intensive School | All offerings | The intensive school is mandatory for online students. |
Enrolment rules
Notes
Please refer to the student handbook for current details on this unit.
Unit coordinator(s)
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- demonstrate theoretical and technical skills by using keys and other diagnostic tools in order to identify cryptogams;
- analyse and evaluate information in order to describe the basic biology and diversity of cryptogams in the world and particularly Australia;
- identify and describe cryptogam characters and communicate this information to others in written and/or verbal form;
- describe the ecological roles that cryptogams play in the environment, including disease, agriculture, diversity, and animal interactions; and
- demonstrate an ability to collect, identify and preserve cryptogam specimens for preservation in an herbarium.
Assessment information
Assessments are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
| Title | Must Complete | Weight | Offerings | Assessment Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Examination - Assurance Task | Yes | 20% | All offerings | To pass this unit, you must achieve at least 50% in this task, and meet all other passing requirements in the unit |
| Herbarium Collection - Assurance Task | Yes | 30% | All offerings | Make collections of cryptogams during the intensive school. Prepare those specimens and curate them into a small cryptogam herbarium to be submitted to the Beadle Herbarium for assessment. To pass this unit, you must achieve a minimum cumulative total of 50% across Practical Assessment - Assurance Task, Herbarium Collection - Assurance Task, and Final Examination - Assurance Task, and meet all other passing requirements in the unit. |
| Online Quizzes | Yes | 15% | All offerings | A series of online quizzes.
|
| Practical Assessment - Assurance Task | Yes | 25% | All offerings | Identification quiz at the end of the intensive school. To pass this unit, you must achieve a minimum cumulative total of 50% across Practical Assessment - Assurance Task, Herbarium Collection - Assurance Task, and Final Examination - Assurance Task, and meet all other passing requirements in the unit. |
| Taxonomic Description | Yes | 10% | All offerings | Write a formal description of a cryptogam species in a style that would allow it to be included in a taxonomic treatment. |
Learning resources
Textbooks are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
Note: Students are expected to purchase prescribed material. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
Introduction to Bryophytes
ISBN: 9780511738951
Vanderpoorten, A., & Goffinet, B. , Cambridge University Press. 2009
Text refers to: All offerings
Fungi for Land - a guide for land managers
ISBN: 9781760803223
McMullan-Fisher SJM and Hart R , UWA Publishing 1st 2026
Text refers to: All offerings
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