gymnosperm

gym·no·sperm | \ ˈjim-nə-ˌspərm

Definition of gymnosperm

: any of a group of vascular plants that produce naked seeds not enclosed in an ovary, that were formerly considered a class (Gymnospermae) of seed plants, but that are now considered polyphyletic in origin and divided into several extinct divisions and four divisions with surviving members typified by the cycadophytes, conifers, ginkgo, and ephedras — compare angiosperm

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Examples of gymnosperm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After the crisis, the dominant seedless ferns were supplanted by seed-bearing gymnosperms such as conifers and ginkgoes. — National Geographic, "Earth has had more major mass extinctions than we realized," 18 Dec. 2019 Yet, once angiosperms emerged, their structural and functional diversity exploded — far outpacing the diversification and spread of the other major plant groups, the gymnosperms (including conifers) and ferns. — Quanta Magazine, "With ‘Downsized’ DNA, Flowering Plants Took Over the World," 16 June 2019

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