Gymnosperms: Seeds in Cones

A flowering plant, also called an angiosperm, is any plant that makes a flower. Close your eyes and picture a flowering plant. When we think of flowers we usually picture roses, sunflowers or other garden plants with colorful petals, but angiosperms come in all shapes and sizes, from 40 foot tall dogwood trees to 8 inch tall dandelions. No matter how big or small, angiosperms are similar because they grow flowers.

A seed is the part of a seed plant which can grow into a new plant. It is a reproductive structure which disperses, and can survive for some time. A typical seed includes three basic parts: (1) an embryo, (2) a supply of nutrients for the embryo, and (3) a seed coat.

Gymnosperm means "naked seeds". They are called this because their seeds are open to the air with no covering such as the seeds of flowering plants. One of the major groups of gymnosperm plants is the conifer. The word "conifers" means "bearing cones." Conifers are plants that use cones to house their seeds.

Cones are the shape of gymnosperms seeds.

A very thin, pointed leaf on a fir or a pine tree.

A bush or tree that has green leaves throughout the year.