The gymnosperms consist of five orders of seed plants: Cupressales, Cycadales, Ginkgoales, Gnetales and Pinales. 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.
Gymnosperms are divided into 12 families of trees, shrubs and woody vines. Sequoiadendron giganteum, the giant redwood, is the largest tree in the world, and Sequoia sempervirens, the coastal redwood, is the tallest. Ginkgo trees tolerate urban pollutants well, and are often planted in and near cities. The pine family is the main source of softwood timber, paper pulp and turpentine. The flexible wood of the yew family is used in longbows and musical instruments.
From the glossary of botanical terms:
falling seasonally, as with bark, leaves, or petals
of one sex; bearing only male or only female reproductive organs
hard and lignified; not herbaceous
| Type genus and etymology | Total genera; global distribution | Description and uses | Order | Type genus images | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Araucariaceae (kauri-tree family) | Araucaria, for the Araucanos (Mapuche) | 3 genera, in southern South America, Southeast Asia, and parts of the western Pacific | Evergreens with whorled branches. Many of the larger species are harvested for timber. | Cupressales | |
| Cupressaceae (cypress family) | Cupressus, from Greek and Latin plant names | 30 genera, prevalent in the Northern Hemisphere, and scattered in southern temperate zones | Trees and shrubs with heavily scented resin. Taxodium is an aquatic tree genus with roots that form knees in some species. Many species provide timber that resists fungal and termite damage. | Cupressales | |
| Cycadaceae (sago family) | Cycas, from a Greek plant name | 1 genus, scattered widely around Southeast Asia, northern Australia, and parts of India and Africa | Unisexual trunked plants with leaf bases that periodically sprout new leaves. The raw plants are toxic for humans, but carefully prepared starches from some species are added to certain Asian dishes. | Cycadales | |
| Ephedraceae (jointfir family) | Ephedra, from Greek and Latin plant names | 1 genus, in northern temperate regions, arid zones, and the Andes and other parts of South America | Mostly unisexual shrubs and vines. Generally, photosynthesis occurs in the branches rather than the leaves. Many plants contain the medicinal compound ephedrine. | Gnetales | |
| Ginkgoaceae (maidenhair-tree family) | Ginkgo, from Chinese and Japanese plant names | 1 genus, in eastern China | Deciduous unisexual trees with fan-like leaves. Trees nearly identical to the modern Ginkgo are frequently found in the fossil record from the Mesozoic Era. | Ginkgoales | |
| Gnetaceae (emping family) | Gnetum, from a Maluku or Malay plant name | 1 genus, scattered in the tropics | Unisexual woody vines, and occasionally trees. At least two species are cultivated or gathered for food in Africa and Indonesia. Some plants provide fibre and wood. | Gnetales | |
| Pinaceae (pine family) | Pinus, from a Latin plant name | 11 genera, scattered widely in the Northern Hemisphere | Evergreen and deciduous conifers, mostly trees and some shrubs, with heavily scented resin. Leaves are needle-shaped or linear. Pinus pinea is grown commercially for pine nuts. Many species are grown as ornamentals, especially for winter holidays. | Pinales | |
| Podocarpaceae (yewpine family) | Podocarpus, from Greek for "stalked fruit" | 20 genera, scattered in the Southern Hemisphere, in East and Southeast Asia, and in and near Central America and the Caribbean | Evergreen trees and shrubs, with a few species that grow in water or on other plants. Timber production has decreased due to overharvesting. | Cupressales | |
| Sciadopityaceae (umbrella-pine family) | Sciadopitys, from Greek for "umbel" or "parasol" (the leaves) + "fir" | 1 genus, in Japan | Evergreen trees with unisexual cones and photosynthetic branchlets | Cupressales | |
| Taxaceae (yew family) | Taxus, from a Latin plant name | 5 genera, scattered mainly in the Northern Hemisphere | Evergreen shrubs and trees with poisonous berry-like cones | Cupressales | |
| Welwitschiaceae (tumbo family) | Welwitschia, for Friedrich Welwitsch (1806–1872) | 1 genus, in desert regions of southwestern Africa near the coast | Unisexual plants with short, concave stems and two (occasionally three) large torn leaves. Some of them live for more than a thousand years. | Gnetales | |
| Zamiaceae (coontie family) | Zamia, from a Latin plant name | 9 genera, scattered widely in the tropics and subtropics | Unisexual trunked plants with leaf bases that periodically sprout new leaves. Seeds of Dioon edule are prepared and used in some tortillas. | Cycadales | |