Gymnosperms (from the Greek for “naked seeds”) are a group of seed-producing plants that include conifers, cycads, and ginkgos. Unlike angiosperms (flowering plants like the petunia, which is an angiosperm), gymnosperms do not produce flowers or fruits. Learn about Gymnosperms , a group of plants that produce seeds not enclosed within the ovary or fruit. Understand their characteristics, classification, examples, and life cycle. Gymnosperms are a group of seed-bearing plants that do not produce flowers or fruits. Gymnosperms are not surrounded by fruit. They are believed to have first appeared during the Carboniferous period and became the dominant land plants during the Mesozoic era. Gymnosperms are seed-bearing plants known for their "naked seeds": seeds not encased within an ovary. Examples include pines, sequoias, and ginkgoes.
