The gymnosperms (Gymnospermae) are a group of
spermatophyte seed-bearing
plants with
ovules on the edge or blade of an open
sporophyll, the sporophylls usually arranged in cone-like structures. The other major group of seed-bearing plants, the
angiosperms, have ovules enclosed in a
carpel, a sporophyll with fused margins. The term gymnosperm comes from the Greek word gumnospermos, meaning "naked seeds" and referring to the unenclosed condition of the seeds, as when they are produced they are found naked on the scales of a cone or similar structure.
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