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

Derived Forms

• gymnospermous
  adjective
• gymnospermism
  noun

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

Gymnosperm seeds are not enclosed in an ovary; rather, they are exposed on cones or modified leaves.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Gymnosperm characteristics include naked seeds, separate female and male gametes, pollination by wind, and tracheids, which transport water and solutes in the vascular system.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

A far more precise age, of 4,842 years, is given on the Gymnosperm Database entry for the species.

From New York Times • Apr. 6, 2010

The one character which is constant in the whole coniferous group and sets it apart from the rest of the plant kingdom, is expressed in the name Gymnosperm, applied to this botanical grand division.

From Trees Worth Knowing by Rogers, Julia Ellen

Gymnosperm, jim′nō-spėrm, n. one of the lower or more primitive group of seed plants—also Gym′nogen.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various