Gymnosperm, << JIHM nuh spurm, >> is the name of one of two large groups of seed plants. The plants in the group have naked, or uncovered, seeds. The term gymnosperm comes from two Greek words meaning naked and seed. The other group, called the angiosperms, consists of plants whose seeds have a protective ovary (seed case).
Gymnosperms are woody perennials that are among the largest and oldest living plants. There are hundreds of species (kinds) of gymnosperms. Most species are conifers, such as the balsams, firs, pines, and spruces. These cone-bearing trees make up the largest division (group) of gymnosperms. The tropical and subtropical cycads, also gymnosperms, are among the most primitive living seed plants (see Cycad ). The ginkgo and the gnetophytes make up the other two divisions of gymnosperms (see Ginkgo ).
Many of the gymnosperms are evergreen with a wide variety in the structure of the leaves. They do not bear flowers. Tiny male cones produce the pollen, which is usually spread by the wind. The naked, or exposed, seeds are borne between the scales of the female cones and drop when they become ripe. Gymnosperms provide the source of many valuable products, such as rosin, tar, timber, and turpentine.
