 Produce pollen and seeds  Pollen are tiny structures that carry sperm producing cells  Dispersed by wind of animal pollinators (i.e. bees)  Sperm travel through air to fertilize egg cells  Seeds consist of an embryonic plant, a supply of food for the embryo, and a protective outer seed coat  Can remain dormant until suitable habitat is available  Male gametophyte is the pollen grain  Female gametophyte produces the egg

 Gymnosperms – lack flowers  Angiosperms – flowering plants

 Evolved earlier than flowering plants  Were dominant until the rise of flowering plants  Most early species are now extinct  4 phyla  Ginkgos  Cycads  Gnetophytes  Conifers

 Only 1 species survives Ginko biloba (maiden hair tree)  Either male or female  Female trees bear foul-smelling, fleshy seeds

 Found in tropical or subtropical climates  Large, finely divided leaves  Look similar to palms or large ferns  Most are approx. 3 feet tall

Male Pollen Cones Female Seed Cone

 Include approx. 70 species of shrubs, vines, and small trees  Genus Ephedra contains compound that is a stimulant and appetite suppressant  Reports of deaths  Welwitschia mirabilis – dry deserts of Africa  Deep taproot can extend up to 100 ft down into the soil  Has fibrous stem with only 2 leaves  Leaves never shed and continue to grow  Oldest plants are more than 200 yrs old

Ephedra Welwitschia mirabilis

 Still dominant plant  Species include pines, firs, spruce, hemlocks, cypresses  Most abundant in cold latitudes and high elevations  Adapted to cold, dry conditions  Retain green leaves, can continue photosynthesis  Leaves are thin needles covered with a thick, waterproof surface that minimizes evaporation  Produce “antifreeze” in their sap (gives piney scent)  Can continue transporting nutrients in below-freezing temperatures

 Flowering plants  Dominate earth today  Over 260,000 species

 Flowers  Fruits  Broad leaves

 Both male and female gametes are formed  May have evolved when ancient gymnosperm developed relationships with animals (i.e. insects) that carried pollen from plant to plant

 Ovary surrounding the seed matures into a fruit

 Monocots  1 cotyledon  Dicots (Eudicots)  2 cotyledon