The gymnosperms consist of five orders of seed plants: Cupressales, Cycadales, Ginkgoales, Gnetales and Pinales.[a] They developed more than 350 million years ago, long before flowering plants, according to the fossil record. The name comes from the Greek for "naked seed"; the egg cells are not protected by ovaries, as in flowering plants.[4]
Gymnosperms are divided into 12 families of trees, shrubs and woody vines.[5] Sequoiadendron giganteum, the giant redwood, is the largest tree in the world, and Sequoia sempervirens, the coastal redwood, is the tallest.[6] Ginkgo trees tolerate urban pollutants well, and are often planted in and near cities.[7] The pine family is the main source of softwood timber, paper pulp and turpentine.[8] The flexible wood of the yew family is used in longbows and musical instruments.[9]
- ^ Stevens 2023, Gymnosperms.
- ^ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017.
- ^ POWO.
- ^ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, pp. 71, 652.
- ^ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, pp. 73–86.
- ^ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 84.
- ^ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 75.
- ^ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, pp. 79–80.
- ^ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 86.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).