Question

What are the characteristics of gymnosperm?

Answer 1

Gymnosperms:

1. They are plants without flowers.
2. They include woody perennial plants most of which are trees, and some shrubs but no herbs.
3. They are sporophyte in nature and heterosporous.
4. They produce haploid microspores and megaspores.
5. The spores produced are borne in sporangia which are borne on sporophyll.
6. They possess a well-developed root system.
7. Leaves are able to withstand extremes of temperature, humidity, and wind and are simple or compound in nature.
8. Microspores develop into male gametophyte generation whereas the megaspores develop into female gametophyte generation.
9. Four haploid megaspores are formed from the meiotic division of the megaspore mother cell.
10. Only one of the megaspores develops into a female gametophyte
11. The seeds of the gymnosperms are not covered i.e. naked.
12. Examples of gymnosperms are Cycas, Pinus, Fir, Gingko, and Gnetum.