Where are Gymnosperm found?

They are found throughout much of the earth, but form dominant vegetation in many colder and arctic regions. Familiar ornamentals include pines, spruces, hemlocks, firs, yews and these genera also supply high-quality wood.

What is the nature of gymnosperms?

Gymnosperm means naked seed. These plants do not have flowers. And so, the seeds are not enclosed inside any specialized structure like the ovary seen in the other group of plants i.e. angiosperms. Rather, the seeds develop on the surface of the reproductive structures of the plants.

Are gymnosperms aquatic?

In our recent global analysis of all extant gymnosperms we concluded that there is only one obligate “aquatic gymnosperm” taxon among ca. 1000 known species of this ancient plant group.

What are living gymnosperms?

The gymnosperms and angiosperms together compose the spermatophytes or seed plants. By far the largest group of living gymnosperms are the conifers (pines, cypresses, and relatives), followed by cycads, gnetophytes (Gnetum, Ephedra and Welwitschia), and Ginkgo biloba (a single living species).

Where do gymnosperms produce their seeds?

cones
This term comes from the fact that the ovules and seeds of gymnosperms develop on the scales of cones rather than in enclosed chambers called ovaries. Gymnosperms are older than angiosperms on the evolutionary scale. They are found far earlier in the fossil record than angiosperms.

Where does photosynthesis occur in gymnosperms?

The vascular, or conducting, tissues are known as xylem and phloem; water and minerals travel up to the leaves from the roots through the xylem, and sugars made by photosynthesis are transported to other parts of the plant through the phloem. Photosynthesis occurs within the chloroplast-containing mesophyll layer.

Do gymnosperms produce flowers?

Gymnosperms are a smaller, more ancient group, and it consists of plants that produce “naked seeds” (seeds that are not protected by a fruit). Gymnosperm seeds are usually formed in unisexual cones, known as strobili, and the plants lack fruits and flowers.

What is the ovule of gymnosperms?

ovule, plant structure that develops into a seed when fertilized. In gymnosperms (conifers and allies) the ovules lie uncovered on the scales of the cone. In angiosperms (flowering plants), one or more ovules are enclosed by the ovary, which develops into the fruit.

Why is Ginkgo a Gymnosperm?

Since its seeds are not protected by an ovary wall, it can morphologically be considered a gymnosperm. The apricot-like structures produced by female ginkgo trees are technically not fruits, but are seeds that have a shell consisting of a soft and fleshy section (the sarcotesta), and a hard section (the sclerotesta).

Do gymnosperms self pollinate?

In gymnosperms, pollination involves pollen transfer from the male cone to the female cone. Self-pollination occurs when the pollen from the anther is deposited on the stigma of the same flower, or another flower on the same plant.

Where are the pollen grains formed in gymnosperms?

In angiosperms, pollen is produced by the anthers of the stamens in flowers. In gymnosperms, it is formed in the microsporophylls of the microstrobili (male pollen cones). Pollen consists of one or more vegetative cells and a reproductive cell. A pollen grain itself is not the male gamete.

How gymnosperms produce seeds?

gymnosperm, any vascular plant that reproduces by means of an exposed seed, or ovule—unlike angiosperms, or flowering plants, whose seeds are enclosed by mature ovaries, or fruits. The seeds of many gymnosperms (literally “naked seeds”) are borne in cones and are not visible until maturity.