essential features of gymnosperms are:
- “Gymnosperm” means “naked
seed”
- Gymnosperms are seed plants adapted
to life on land; thus, they are autotrophic, photosynthetic
organisms that tend to conserve water.
- They have a vascular system (used
for the transportation of water and nutrients) that includes roots,
xylem, and phloem. The name gymnosperm means “naked seed,” which is
the major distinguishing factor between gymnosperms and
angiosperms, the two distinct subgroups of seed plant
- Gymnosperms are older than
angiosperms on the evolutionary scale. They are found far earlier
in the fossil record than angiosperms
- Gymnosperms are sporophytes (a
plant with two copies of its genetic material, capable of producing
spores ). Their sporangia (receptacle in which sexual spores are
formed) are found on sporophylls, plated scale-like structures that
together make up cones
- Gymnosperms are a diverse group of
plants the protect their seeds with cones and do not produce
flowers or fruits.
- Gymnosperms consist of four main phyla: the Coniferophyta,
Cycadophyta, Gingkophyta and Gnetophyta.
- Conifers are the dominant plant of the gymnosperms, having
needle-like leaves and living in areas where the weather is cold
and dry.
- Cycads live in warm climates, have large, compound leaves, and
are unusual in that they are pollinated by beetles rather than
wind.
- Gingko biloba is the only remaining species of the
Gingkophyta and is usually resistant to pollution.
Gnetophytes are the gymnosperms believed to be most closely
related to the angiosperms because of the presence of vessel
elements within their stems
CLOSELY RELATED TO ANGIOSPERMS-the closest
relatives of the angiosperms are the gymnosperms,
which include cycads, Ginkgo, conifers (the group that contains the
pines, spruces, firs because Flowering plants are
able to survive in a greater variety of habitats
than gymnosperms. Flowering
plants mature more quickly than
gymnosperms, and produce greater numbers of seeds.
The woody tissues of angiosperms
are also more complex and specialized