Gymnosperms

1. Gymnosperm Definition

Gymnosperms are plants with naked seeds. The seeds are usually borne on open

cone scales and have no protective covering like the ovary or fruit found in

Angiosperms or Flowering plants.

Conifer is used to refer to plants bearing cones, such as pines or spruces.

This does not describe all gymnosperms, since Ginkgo, Podocarpus, etc. have a fleshy

or leathery covering around the seed.

Softwood or hardwood are terms also used..

Softwood refers to conifers or gymnosperms, which often have light, easily cut wood.

The wood contains tracheids and lacks the true vessels of Angiosperms.

Hardwood refers to angiosperms or flowering plants, even though balsa wood

(Ochroma)is one of the softest and lightest woods known. Hardwoods often have

lumber with a compact texture. True vessels are present in Angiosperms.

Evergreens is a terms sometimes used for Gymnosperms, but a number of genera

have deciduous needles or branchlets, such as Larix or larches, Metasequoia or dawn

redwood, and Taxodium or bald cypress.