Shane Beyer and Corey Hawk

Angiosperms  There are 235,000 species of angiosperms.  Angiosperms are vascular, flowering, seed-bearing plants.  Angiosperms are divided into 2 groups, and those groups are Monocots and Dicots.  Angiosperms produce pollen.

Monocots  The leaves of Monocots have parallel veins.  The flowers of Monocots come in threes.  Each Monocot has one cotyledon, or a seed leaf.  In Monocots, the bundles of vascular tissue are scattered.  Some examples of monocots are grasses, orchids, onions, lillies, and palms.

Dicots  The leaves of Dicots have branching veins.  The flowers of Dicots come in parts of fours or fives.  Dicots have two cotyledons, other than the Monocots, which only have one cotyledon.  In Dicots, bundles of vascular tissue are in a ring.  Some examples of Dicots are roses, cacti, sunflowers, peanuts, and peas.

Gymnosperms  Gymnosperms are vascular, non- flowering, seed-bearing plants.  The seeds of gymnosperms are protected by cones.  Gymnosperms produce pollen.  The four gymnosperms are conifers, cycads, ginkgoes, and gnetophytes.

Conifers  Conifers are the largest group of gymnosperms.  There are 550 species of conifers.  Most conifers are evergreens that keep their needle-shaped leaves all year.  Conifer seeds develop in cones.  An example of a conifer is a ponderosa pine.

Cycads  Cycads are the second largest group of gymnosperms.  There are 140 species of cycads.  These were more common millions of years ago.  These plants mostly grow in the tropics.  Cycad seeds develop in cones.  One example of a cycad is an Encephalartos woodii

Ginkgoes  There is only one type of ginkgoes that is still living today.  Ginkgo seeds are not produced in cones.  These seeds have fleshy seed coats, and are attached directly to the branches of the tree.  The example of a ginkgo is the ginkgo tree.

Gnetophytes  Gnetophytes are the third largest group of gymnosperms.  There are 70 species of Gnetophytes.  Many Gnetophytes live and grow in dry areas.  Most Gnetophytes develop in cones.  Many Gnetophytes are shrubs.

Structures of Seeds  A seed forms after fertilization when sperm and eggs are joined.  The seed consists of the young plant or the sporophyte, the seed coat, and the stored food in the cotyledon.  The seed coat surrounds and protects the young plant.

Picture of the Structure of a Seed

Pine Life Cycle  First the seed contains a young sporophyte, which grows into an adult sporophyte.  Next, spores are produced, and they grow into gametophytes.  Then, sex cells are produced in the cones.  Then, wind carries pollen to the egg. A sperm from a pollen grain fertilizes the egg.  Finally, the fertilized egg develops into a young sporophyte within a seed.

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