Gymnosperms

Three older Phyla of seed plants whose ovules, and seeds, are incompletely covered by a sporophyll.

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Gymnosperms.ppt

Gymnosperms
Three Phyla not closely related to Flowering Plants, nor to each other. All widespread in Mesozoic,
dinner for dinosaurs

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Gymnosperms.ppt

Phylum Coniferophyta
Leaves needle-like or scale-like Cones
Sporophylls arranged around a stem Usually woody, sometimes soft & fleshy
Junipers, yews
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Phylum Coniferophyta
Life cycle
Ovules, and seeds, are incompletely covered by a sporophyll.

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Gymnosperms.ppt

Male & Female Cones

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Gymnosperms.ppt

Female cone
longitudinal section (l.s.)

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Gymnosperms.ppt

Conifer Life Cycle

Time to develop seed
Formation of male & female cones, release of pollen, Spring, year = 0 Maturation of ovule, egg cells Fertilization. Spring, year = 1 Maturation of seeds Seeds released, Spring, year = 2
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Uses of Conifers
Economic use Lumber, plywood
Pine, redwood, spruce, fir, white cedar

Pulp for paper Resins, turpentine Medicine

Taxol from Taxus spp. (yews)
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Phylum Ginkgophyta
Fan-shaped leaves
Veins nearly parallel with dichotomous branching

Thick swollen seed coat

Butyric acid, foul smelling

Ancient group unchanged in 200 million years

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Phylum Cycadophyta
Stiff compound leaves Vascular bundles spiral in stem Cone-like reproductive bodies.

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Phylum Cycadophyta
Web pages from Royal Botanical Garden, Sydney, Australia
http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/PlantNet/cyca d/cycintro.html http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/PlantNet/cyca d/cycadop.html

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