gymnospermous

9.9

Plants that make seeds not covered by fruit or flowers

adjective
/ˌdʒɪmnəˈspɜrməs/

Specialized

: gimnospermo

Pine trees are gymnospermous and produce seeds without fruit.

Examples

Unlike angiosperms, gymnospermous species do not have flowers.
The gymnospermous plants are essential for understanding plant evolution.
The gymnospermous plants dominated the landscape during the Mesozoic era.
Are all conifers considered gymnospermous species?
Pine trees are gymnospermous and produce seeds without fruit.
The gymnospermous plants dominated the landscape during the Mesozoic era.
Unlike angiosperms, gymnospermous species do not have flowers.

Compounds

gymnospermous tree

Specialized

9.9

A tree that has seeds not covered by a fruit, often in cones like a pine

gymnospermous yellowwood

Specialized

9.9

A cone-bearing tree with yellow wood

Surface Forms

gymnospermous positive

Morphology

gymnospermous = gymnosperm (semi-transparent) = gymno + sperm + ous

The adjective is a straightforward adjectival formation from the noun 'gymnosperm' by adding '-ous', so the relation to the immediate base is clear.

Etymology

Gymnospermous comes from Greek parts gymnos meaning 'naked' and sperma meaning 'seed'. So a gymnospermous plant has 'naked seeds' that are not inside fruit, which is why pine trees make seeds without flowers or fruit.