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in Class 11 by kratos

Explain the general characters of Gymnosperm plant body.

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by kratos
 
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  • Gymnosperm plant body is sporophyte.
  • Sporophyte consists of stem, root and leaves. Stem is unbranched in cycas. the stem bears crown of leaves at the tip.
  • The foliage leaves are pinnately compound in cycas and needlelike in conifers. Brown small non-photosynthetic leaves called scale leaves/cataphylls are present in cycas.
  • In cycas, the cataphylls are thickly covered with brown hairs called ramenta.
  • The foliage leaves are green. The pinnae are tough, leathery and has only midrib without veins.
  • Young leaves show circinate vernation.
  • The roots are inhabited by blue-green algae like Nostoc help the plant in nitrogen fixation
  • Sporophyte produces two types of spores so it is heterosporous.
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