Seed-Producing Plants Conifers Cycads Gnetophytes Greek Ovules Flowering Plants Ovary Cones
Seed-Producing Plants Conifers Cycads Gnetophytes Greek Ovules Flowering Plants Ovary Cones
and gnetophytes. The term "gymnosperm" comes from the Greek composite
word ( gymnos, "naked" and sperma, "seed"), meaning "naked
seeds", after the unenclosed condition of their seeds (called ovules in their unfertilized state). Their
naked condition stands in contrast to the seeds and ovules of flowering plants (angiosperms), which
are enclosed within an ovary. Gymnosperm seeds develop either on the surface of scales or leaves,
often modified to form cones, or at the end of short stalks as in Ginkgo.