Gymnosperms

Question 1

How many living species of gymnosperms are there?

Answer 1

1000

Question 2

Do gymnosperms dominate any ecosystems?

Answer 2

Many ecosystems

Question 3

What are the 4 phyla of gymnosperms?

Answer 3

Coniferophyta, cycadophyta, ginkgophyta, gnetophyta

Question 4

How many species of conifers are there?

Answer 4

630

Question 5

What trees are included in coniferophyta?

Answer 5

Pines, firs, spruce, larches, junipers

Question 6

What type of leaves do conifers have? Why are these an adaptation?

Answer 6

Needles. They are resistant to drought and frost

Question 7

What are the traits of pine needles?

Answer 7

Bunched together at the base in groups of 2-5, with a sheath at the bottom. Rigid and sharp

Question 8

What are the traits of larch needles?

Answer 8

> 5 short, soft needles bunched together. Only deciduous conifers

Question 9

What are the traits of spruce needles?

Answer 9

Individual needles. Are square-ish and you can roll them between your fingers

Question 10

What are the traits of fir needles?

Answer 10

Individual needles that are flat

Question 11

What structure seen in seedless vascular plants has been modified into a cone in gymnosperms?

Answer 11

Strobili

Question 12

Are conifers monoecious or dioecious?

Answer 12

Monoecious, but separate micro and megasporangiate cones

Question 13

Are conifers wind or animal pollinated?

Answer 13

Wind pollinated, produce huge amounts of pollen

Question 14

Where are the microsporangiate and megasporangiate cones located on a conifer?

Answer 14

Microsporangiate cones are located at the top of the tree to be able to catch the wind, while the ovulate cones are further down

Question 15

How many species of cycads exist? Where are they found?

Answer 15

300 species that grow in tropical areas

Question 16

Are cycads monoecious or dioecious?

Answer 16

Dioecious

Question 17

Are cycads wind or animal pollinated?

Answer 17

They are insect pollinated and produce nectar to attract insects

Question 18

What is unusual about cycad and ginkgo sperm?

Answer 18

Flagellated. Only cycads and gingkos have flagellated sperm, the conifers have lost that trait

Question 19

What are the morphological traits of cycads?

Answer 19

Shrubby or tree-like with palm-like pinnate leaves, deeply incised margins. The leaves grow in a rosette, and have large cone-shaped strobili

Question 20

How many species of ginkgos are there?

Answer 20

Only 1

Question 21

Are ginkgos monoecious or dioecious?

Answer 21

Dioecious

Question 22

What is the “fruit” of a ginkgo?

Answer 22

The seeds. Have a fleshy coating that smells like vomit

Question 23

What do the leaves of ginkgos look like?

Answer 23

Fan shaped with veins radiating out into the leaf blade

Question 24

How many species of gnetophytes are there?

Answer 24

75 species

Question 25

What are the 3 living genera of gnetophytes?

Answer 25

Gnetum, Ephedra, Welwitschia

Question 26

Why are gnetophytes weird?

Answer 26

Share some traits with gymnosperms and other traits with angiosperms. We put them with the gymnosperms mainly because we don’t know what to do with them

Question 27

What traits are found in gnetophytes that are common with angiosperms?

Answer 27

Vessel elements, some have a variation of double fertilization, some produce nectar and are insect pollinated, some lack archegonia

Question 28

What traits are found in gnetophytes that are common with gymnosperms?

Answer 28

Some produce nectar and are insect pollinated like cycads, all have cones and leaf morphology similar to gymnosperms