The Differences Between Gymnosperms and Ferns

Taxonomy and Systematics

• Botanists classify plants by taxonomic groups that have similarities in structure and reproductive capabilities. When plant classifications change because of new research, inconsistencies are found in different textbooks. Colorado State University Extension calls this a “moving target” of classification. As the science of taxonomy becomes absorbed into the new science of systematics, plants will be classified more accurately. The basic differences between gymnosperms and ferns remain the same, regardless of which system is used.

Gymnosperms

• The name gymnosperm is rooted in two Greek words meaning “naked seed.” Seeds from these plants do not produce flowers and are not encased inside fruit. Seeds develop at the terminal ends of short stalks or inside a strobilus, or cone. Conifers, such as pines and cypress, cycads and ginkgo trees, are examples of gymnosperms. Ginkgos are extinct in nature and only exist because of cultivation, according to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Cycads grow so slowly that it sometimes takes 1,000 years for a plant to reach 6 feet in height.

Ferns

• The American Fern Society notes that ferns are more complicated in structure than most people would suspect. Leaves, known as fronds, arise from stems, called rhizomes, and roots grow from the rhizomes. Sometimes rhizomes are contained entirely underground, and sometimes they grow above-ground, as on epiphytic ferns. Xylem and phloem are vascular tissues contained in rhizomes that transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Instead of seeds, ferns produce spores that are contained in capsules called sporangia that form on the backs of fronds.

Differences

• Morphological differences between gymnosperms and ferns are evident; for example, ferns look very different from pine trees. The primary differences are their method of reproduction and their requirement for pollen dissemination. Ferns need water to transport sperm for fertilizing eggs, according to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. This explains why most ferns thrive in moist places. Gymnosperms rely on the airborne transport of pollen for fertilization. Fern seeds, or spores, are dust-like, and gymnosperm seeds are larger with hard seed coats.