Gymnosperms

There are so many plants and trees that surround us. The refreshingly green trees in my garden and the august trees that stand tall at the side of the road are a source of great pleasure and a delight to watch. Plants and trees not only provide us with food, fuels and many other important things but are also a source of fresh air and joy that surrounds us everyday. There exist so many different types of plants and trees, which have minute differences amongst their color, structure, as well as numerous physiological differences.

Often we miss these differences and similarities in plants since many of these differences are indiscernible to the human eye. There exists a special branch of science that involves study of plants in detail. Botany is the branch of science that deals with the study and classification of plants. According to the principles of Botany, higher plants are divided into two main groups known as angiosperms and gymnosperms. Angiosperms are flowering whereas the gymnosperms are non-flowering plants.

Peculiar Characteristics of Gymnosperms

Besides the basic differences mentioned above, there exist a set of standard feature or characteristics that help to identify gymnosperms. Here are some of the peculiar characteristics of gymnosperms:

• Gymnosperms do not have and outer-covering or shell around their seeds.
• Gymnosperms do not produce flowers barring a few exceptions.
• Gymnosperms are heterosporous which means that they produce different male and female spores. The microspores develop into pollen grains and the megaspores are in an ovule.
• Gymnosperms produce cones.
• Gymnosperms do not bear fruits.
• Gymnosperms propagate via wind pollination

The word ‘gymnosperms’ originates from the words gymnosmeaning naked and sperm meaning seed, the name is so because of the fact that seeds of gymnosperms are not surrounded by a protective wall which exists in the angiosperms. Gymnosperms are further separated into four divisions, which are as follows:

Coniferophyta

This is the largest division of gymnosperms, which includes Pines, Yews, Spruces, Junipers, Cedars and many more plants. These conifers are found in the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere. There are several families of the Coniferphyta division as well. These are cone-bearing gymnosperms, which date back to the carboniferous period.

Cycadophyta

This division includes palm-like gymnosperms, not to mention the surviving order Cycadales< and other extinct orders. The cycads are slow growing palm-like plants. These plants also have another characteristic feature that the leaves of these plants are borne together on the top of the trunk. The seeds of these plants are present on the surface of the scales of cones.

Gingkophyta

This group of the gymnosperms is relatively limited since it contains only one member. The single living species of the Gingkophyta division is the Gingko biloba from China.

Gnetophyta

These are gymnosperms, which are truly unique due to the fact that they bear flowers- a property that is exclusively attributed to the angiosperms. In addition to this, the xylem of these plants contains pollen-producing structures, which resemble the stamens in angiosperms. Owing to this, these plants are considered as a link between gymnosperms and angiosperms. The plants included in this division are tropical lianas, joint-firs and also several other plants.