EWING CHRISTIAN

COLLEGE
[AN AUTONOMOUS COLLEGE OF ALLAHABAD UNIVERSITY]

M.Sc previous year

First Semester
Classification of
GYMNOSPERM
By- CHETNA SHUKLA
 Introduction
• Gymnosperms are woody seed-bearing plants differing
from the other group of seed plants.
• The term "gymnosperm" comes from word
gymnospermos, meaning "naked seeds", after the
unenclosed condition of theirseeds (called ovules in their
unfertilized state).
• There are between 700 and 900 extant* or currently
living species of Gymnosperms.
• They grow in xerophytic conditions and posses
xerophytic adaptations.
• Gymnosperms are heterosporous which means that
they produce different male and female spores. The
microspores develop into pollen grainsand the
megasporesare in an ovule
• .
• Male and female reproductive structures are borne on
sporophylls, scales, or comparable structures
• Most of them are trees and some are shrubs. There are
no herbs..
• They have monopodial growth represented by one main
axis. As the axis grows taller it increases in diameter due
to secondary growth. Stem branches are of two types: 1.
Long shoots or branchesof unlimited growth. 2. Dwarf
shoots or branchesof limited growth.
• The plants possess well-developed tap root system. In
some cases the roots are symbiotically associated with
algae (coralloid roots of Cycas) or with fungi (mycorrhizal
roots of Pinus).
 Classification
• Gymnosperms include a number of fossil and living
forms. They include the primitive members of the
Spermophyta (seed- bearing plants) and form a link
between the Pteridophyta on the one hand and the
angiosperms on the other. Various attempts have been
made by different workers to classify the Gymnosperms.
• One of the earliest attempts was made by Bentham and
Hooker (1866-1883), when they divided seed bearing
plants into Dicots, Gymnosperms and Monocots.
Gymnosperms were further divided into Cycadaceae,
Gnetaceae and Coniferae. Engler (1885) divided
Gymnosperms into seven groups as follows: 1.
Cycadofilicales 2. Cycadales 3. Bennittitales 4.
Cordaitales 5. Ginkgoales 6. Coniferales 7. Gnetales
• Coulter and Chamberlain (1917) adapted Engler’s system
with slight modifications and divided gymnosperms into seven
orders: Cycadofilicales, Cycadales, Bennittitales, Cordaitales,
Coniferales, Ginkgoales and Gnetales. He further divided
order Coniferales into two families (Pinaceae and Taxaceae)
and six sub-families as follows:
• Orders Families Sub-families
• Cycadofilicales
• Cycadales
• Bennittitales
• Cordaitales
• Coniferales Pinaceae Abietineae, Taxodineae, Cupressineae ,
• Araucarineae
• Taxaceae Taxineae, Podocarpineae

• Ginkgoales
• Gnetales
• Depending upon the composition of wood, Seward
(1919) divided gymnosperms into two classes: i)
Manoxylic with loose textured and porous wood, and
ii) Pycnoxylic with compact wood. Orders Cycadales,
Cycadeoidales and Cycadofilicales were included in the
former whereas, the latter included the orders
Cordaitales, Ginkgoales, Coniferales and Gnetales.
• Prof. Birbal Sahni (1920) classified gymnosperms into
two divisions depending upon the axial or foliar origin of
the ovules. These are: i) Stachyspermae – in which the
ovules arise on the axial organs, and ii)
Phyllospermae – in which the ovules are borne on
leaves. Stachyspermae was further divided into four
orders and Phyllospermae into three orders as follows:
• Divisions Orders
• Stachyspermae Cordaitales, Coniferales
• Ginkgoales, Gnetales
• Gymnosperms
Phyllospermae Cycadofilicales, Bennittitales
• Cycadales
• Chamberlain (1934) however, divided the gymnosperms into two large
groups A. Cycadophyta and B. Coniferophyta.
• In the Cycadophyta, sporophylls are in cones.
• They include three orders:
• Cycadofilicales (Pteridospermae)-extinct
• Bennettitales (Cycadeoideales)-extinct
• Cycadales-Mesozoic to present day.
• The Coniferophyta is divided into four orders:
• Ginkgoales-Palaeozoic to present day.
• Cordaitales-extinct
• Coniferales-Palaeozoic to present day
• Gnetales-Recent.
• Raizada and Sahni (1938) have summarized the
classification of gymnosperms as follows:
• Cycadophytes:
• Pteridospermae (Cycadofilicales)-Carboniferous. Extinct.
• Cycadeoideales (Bennettitales)-Mesozoic. Extinct.
• Cycadales-Mesozoic to present day.
• Pentoxylales: Jurassic
• Coniferophytes:
• Cordaitales-Palaeozoic. Exinct
• Ginkgoales-Palaeozoic to present day.
• Coniferales-Palaeozoic-Mesozoic to present day
• Gnetales-Recent.
• Chamberlain (1935) classified gymnosperms into:
•
Gymnosperms
•
Cycadophytes
Gymnosperms with fern-like pinnatifid
leaves, weakly branched large globose
or columnar trunks, having large
conspicuously developed pith and
cortical zones in stem. Secondary xylem
cylinder small, composed mainly of
tracheids and abundant parenchyma
(manoxylic wood). Group well
represented in fossil record. The only
surviving representatives are the modern
cycads.
Orders 1. Cycadofilicales 2.
Bennettitales 3. Cycadales
Coniferophytes
Gymnosperms with profusely
branched trunks, leaves simple
(needle-like, scale-like or
laminate), stems with small pith
and cortex. Secondary xylem
cylinder massive and less
parenchymatous (pycnoxylic
wood). The group includes extinct
as well as extant orders like
Orders: 1. Cordaitales 2. Voltziales 3.
Coniferales 4. Ginkgoales 5. Gnetales
• In 1957 prof. D.D PANT gave the modification of
Arnold`s classification and gave the following system..

Cycadophyta Chlamydospermophyta Conifrophyta

CLASS-1-
Pteridospermopsida CLASS-1-
Orders- Coniferopsida
Lygniopteridales CLASS-1- Orders-
Medullosales Gnetopsida Corditales
Glossopteridales ORDERS- Coniferales
Peltaspermales Gnetales Ginkgoales
Corystospermales Welwitschiales CLASS-2-
Caytoniales Ephedropsida
CLASS-2- Orders-
Cycadopsida Ephedrales
Orders- CLASS-3-
Cycadales Czekanowskiales
CLASS-3- Orders-
Pentaxylopsida Czekanowskiales
Orders- CLASS-4-
Pentoxylales Taxopsida
CLASS-4- Orders-
Bennettitopsida Taxales
Orders-
Bennettitales
 • Kramer & Green (see Kubitzki, 1990) have classified the
Division Gymnosperms into two Subdivision as
• follows:-
•
Cycadophytina Coniferophytina

Classes- Classes-
Classes-
Classes- Ginkgoatae Pinatae
Gnetatae
Cycadatae Order- Order- Pinales
Orders-
Order- Ginkgoales (Coniferales)
Gnetales
Cycadales Families- Families-
Families-
Families- 1. Taxaceae
1.Ephedrac
1.Stangeriaceae 1.Ginkgoace 2.Cephalotaxaceae
eae
2.Boweniaceae ae 3.Phyllocladaceae
2.Gnetacea
3.Cycadaceae 4. Podocarpaceae
e
4.Zamiaceae 5. Araucariaceae 6.
3.Welwitsc
Sciadopityaceae 7.
hiaceae
Taxodiaceae
8.Cupressaceae 9.
Pinaceae
Flow charts showing classification by
different workers:-
• The modern gymnosperms are commonly grouped
under four orders:
• 1. Cycadales;
• 2. Ginkgoales;
• 3. Coniferales and
• 4. Gnetales
• The Cycadales and the Ginkgoales include living
members which have a long, fossil history and can be
regarded as ‘living fossils’. Ginkgoales in the past (early
Mesozoic) were represented by widely distributed group
of plants, but now the order is represented by a single
species Ginkgo biloba.
• The Coniferales from the most conspicuous order of the
living gymnosperms and include the plants like Pinus,
Cedrus, Abies, Juniperus, Cupressus, Biota, etc.
• The Gnetales are represented by three living genera,
e.g., Gnetum, Ephedra and Welwitschia.
 Living Gymnosperms

Cycads

Conifers

Ginkgoes Gnetophytes
•
• The trees are branched,woody and perennial.

• The leaves are dimorphic scaly and foliar.

• Tap root system mostly associated with fungi

[mycorrhizal association]

• Reproductive structures are formed on leaves which

arrange to form cones male and female cones are
formed sepratly.

• Pollen grains are wind spread and embryo formed is di

to polycotylednous
 The Largest and the
Oldest Plants are
both Conifers
Giant Sequoias of
the California
• Bristlecone pines of
the California White Sierras are the
Mountains are the largest
oldest
 Earth"
- General
Sherman
2200 years old , 275 feet tall ,

-
30 feet in diameter at the base.
119.3 miles of 1X12 planks

Sequoia
National
Forest, CA
 There are seven living families of
Conifers

Pines, Fir Spruce

Norfolk Island Pines

Five of Sequoias and Redwoods

the most
familiar
Yew
Junipers and Cedars
• The division coniferophyta contain following 7-families.

• PINACEAE
• It is composed of 10 genera Cedrus, Pinus, Cathaya,
Tsuga,Abies etc.
• Tall and well branched trees.
• Posses dwarf and long shoot
dwarf shoot posses scaly and
needle like foliar leaves.
 Taxodiaceae
• Comparises evergreen or deciduous trees and plant
parts are mostly spirally arranged.
• Both male and female cones are arranged on same
plants.
• Contain ovuliferous scales with 2 to 9 ovules on each.
• Pollen grains are wingless and lack prothalial cells.
• Seeds may be winged or wingless or irregular in shape.
• Consist of…. Taxodium, Sequoia,
Sequoiadendron, Taiwania, Cunninghamia
etc.
 Cupressaceae
• The family comparises evergreen much branched trees
or shrubs.
• The plant parts are arranged opposite decussate or in
whorls of 3 or 4.
• Juvenile leaves may be linear adenate or adpressed
completely hiding the stem.
• Leaves may be glandular and grooved.
• Male and female cones occur on same plant.
• There are nearly 22 genera some are.. Tetraclinis,
Juniperus, Callitris, Thuja etc
THUJA
 Podocarpaceae
• Leaves are extreamly variable.

• True leaves are small,scale like and are replaced by

phylloclades.
• Phylloclades are flattened much branched with
fiabelliform.
• Male and female cones are seprate solitary axile or
terminal.
• It consist of 7 genera some are .. Podocarpus,
Dacrydium,etc
Podocarpus
macrophyllus
 Araucariaceae
• Evergreen and highly resinous trees.
• Leaves are small,stiff,awl-like or large and
leatherhy.
• Plant may be monoecious or dioecious.
• Pollen grain are wingless with multiple
persistant prothalial cells.
• It consist of 2 genera …Araucaria,
Agathis .
 Cephalotaxaceae
• Cephalotaxaceae is a monogenic family with only one
genera Cephalotaxus.
• Named such due to shape of male cone from the greek
word “kephale” means head.
• Male cones are present in globose heads.
• Shrubs or small yew like dioecious plants.
• Male trees posses unbranched shoot.
• Leaves are more or less same size
,falcate,subacute,base round,and whitish beneath.
 Taxaceae
• These are much branched evergreen woody shrub or
small,rarely large trees.
• The leaves are simple,linear and small and sre spirally
arranged.
• The wood is pycnoxylic.

• Plant is dioecious with male strobilus consist of a cone

axis.
• The family is represented by 5 living genera….
Amentotaxus,
Torreya,Taxus,Psedotaxus,Austrotaxus.
 2
Cycadophyta
 CYCADOPHYTA
• Rarely branched trunks with soft pithy wood.

• Plants are dioceous in nature with compound leaves.

• Microsporangia (Male gametophyte) grows within the

ovule.
• Male gametes are multicilliated and motile.

• Motile sperm released after several months, sometimes

after the seed has fallen.
Cycads Appeared
on Earth
250 MYA

• Reached their
greatest
abundance and
diversity during the
Jurassic
• Declined sharply
during the
Cretaceous
radiation of the
angiosperms.
Cycad Stems
• Columnar
• Little branching
• Not very woody
Certain roots in Cycads grow
toward the soil surface

Corraloid
Roots
A Closer Look at Coralloid Roots
• Grow upward near soil
surface
• Branch to form masses
• Root cortex inhabited by
Cyanobacteria (carry
out nitrogen fixation)
Cycads produce pollen and seeds
in cones
• Cones develop at
apex of stem
 All Cycads are Dioecious
• Individual plants
produce either pollen
cones or seed cones

Pollen Cone

Seed Cone
Cycas revoluta
Ginkgophytes – Ginkgo

• Extensive fossil record but…only

1 living species: Ginkgo biloba!

•Highly branched tree withwell developed wood.

•Deciduous, fan-shaped leaves with dichotomous

venation.

•Dioecious: male and female trees

-male: “cone” with lateral stalks bearing
microsporangia
-female: no cone, axis with 2 ovules
(outer integument layer fleshy)

•motile sperm (ancestral

Ginkgo – Vegetative Characteristics
Ginkgo is Deciduous
Ginkgo Stems
• Extensive branching
• Very woody
 Ginkgo Stems

long shoot spur shoot

 All Ginkgo trees are Dioecious
• Individual plants produce either pollen “cones” or seed
“cones”
• Produced on spur shoots

C
Ginkgo produces a seed with a
fleshy seed coat
• Seed Coat contains
Butyric Acid
• Seed Coat is not
edible
Ephedra is a desert shrub
 Gnetum is a
tropical vine or
small tree
Welwitschia is a bizarre plant of an
extremely arid environment
Welwitschia forms
a short stem and
deep tap root

Welwitschia
produces only two
adult leaves
Thank You