下か等とう植しょく物ぶつ

か

と

う

しょ

く

ぶ

つ

Meanings

1

noun

lower plants

Biological term for plants that are structurally simple, such as algae, mosses, and ferns, as opposed to higher plants (高等植物).

below, down, descend

等etc., and so forth, class (first)

植plant

物thing, object, matter

高こう等とう植しょく物ぶつ
Higher plants; refers to seed plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms) with more complex structures, contrasting with 下等植物.

Compound of 下等 (かとう, 'lower, inferior') and 植物 (しょくぶつ, 'plant'). The term is a direct calque from Western biological classification.