gymnosperm

American  

[jim-nuh-spurm] / ˈdʒɪm nəˌspɜrm /

noun

Botany.

1. a vascular plant having seeds that are not enclosed in an ovary; a conifer or cycad.

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gymnosperm British  

/ ˈdʒɪmnəʊˌspɜːm, ˈɡɪm- /

noun

1. any seed-bearing plant in which the ovules are borne naked on the surface of the megasporophylls, which are often arranged in cones. Gymnosperms, which include conifers and cycads, are traditionally classified in the division Gymnospermae but in modern classifications are split into separate phyla Compare angiosperm

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gymnosperm Scientific  

/ jĭm′nə-spûrm′ /

1. Any of a group of seed-bearing plants whose ovules are not enclosed in an ovary, but are exposed on the surface of sporophylls or similar structures. Each ovule may contain several eggs, all of which may be fertilized and start to develop in a process known as polyembryony. In most seeds, however, only a single embryo survives. The reproductive structures of many gymnosperms are arranged in cones. The gymnosperms do not form a distinct monophyletic grouping, but simply include all the seed-bearing plants that are not angiosperms. In addition to several extinct groups, there are four very diverse living gymnosperm phyla: the conifers, the cycads, the ginkgo (surviving in a single species), and the gnetophytes.

2. Compare angiosperm See more at seed-bearing plant

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Other Word Forms

• gymnospermism noun
• gymnospermous adjective

Etymology

Origin of gymnosperm

First recorded in 1820–30, gymnosperm is from the New Latin word gymnospermae name of type. See gymno-, -sperm

Compare meaning

How does gymnosperm compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• angiosperm vs. gymnosperm

Example Sentences

Angiosperms evolved from gymnosperms, but how carpels and the second seed coat arose has been a big mystery.

From Science Magazine

Other plants, including conifers, ferns and algae, are known as gymnosperms.

From BBC

Other amber specimens from the same ancient forest show pollen from an older group of trees, the gymnosperms—conifers and gingkoes—which today are pollinated largely by wind.

From Science Magazine

Edward collected the state’s angiosperms and gymnosperms in an herbarium, and Orra drew and painted them.

From New York Times

Crisscrossing the valley over the past 2 decades, Verma has rescued dozens of fossilized dinosaur nests and hundreds of eggs, along with thousands of other specimens, including rare extinct sharks and a fossilized gymnosperm forest.

From Science Magazine