gymnosperm
nounEtymology from Ancient Greek γυμνός (gumnós, “naked”) + σπέρμα (spérma, “seed”). By surface analysis, gymno- + sperm.
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Biology, Botany, Natural sciences Any plant such as a conifer whose seeds are not enclosed in an ovary.
- Like cycads — their gymnosperm relatives — and ferns, the ginkgo produces motile sperm.2015 October 29, Dave Taft, “The Female Ginkgo Tree’s Acrid Smell of Success”, in The New York Times:
- The palynoassemblage is rich in angiosperm taxa (45.63%) followed by gymnosperms (0.45%), pteridophytes (18.49%) and fungal remains (23.88%).2016 March 2, “Depositional Environment of Mio-Pliocene Siwalik Sedimentary Strata from the Darjeeling Himalayan Foothills, India: A Palynological Approach”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI:
- Derived terms
- gymnospermal, gymnospermic, gymnospermism, gymnospermous, progymnosperm
- Related terms
- Gymnospermae, gymnospore
- Hyponyms
- conifers, cycad, Ginkgo, Gnetales