In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Definition of Gymnosperms 2. External Features of Gymnosperms 3. Classification 4. Internal Structure 5. Reproduction 6. Affinities and Relationship 7. Evolutionary Significance. Definition of Gymnosperms : The term gymnosperms (gymnos = naked; sperma = seed) was introduced by Theophrastus in 300 BC to describe plants with unprotected seeds. According to Goebal gymnosperms are phanerogams without ovary. The phanerogams or Spermatophyta (sperm = seed ... Gymnosperms are a group of seed-bearing plants that do not produce flowers or fruits. Gymnosperms are not surrounded by fruit. They are believed to have first appeared during the Carboniferous period and became the dominant land plants during the Mesozoic era. Gymnosperms (from the Greek for “naked seeds”) are a group of seed-producing plants that include conifers, cycads, and ginkgos. Unlike angiosperms (flowering plants like the petunia, which is an angiosperm), gymnosperms do not produce flowers or fruits. Gymnosperm refers to a group of plants that produce seeds that are not enclosed within the ovary or any fruit. The seeds covered are not enclosed within any case. The word gymnosperm is derived from two Greek words namely “gymnos” which means named and “Sperma” meaning seed. These plants form on the scales or leaves, or also near the end of the stalk which gives it a cone-like structure. Gymnosperms belong to the kingdom classification known as “Plantae” and its subkingdom is ...
