Biology / Unit 10 Bio 2191 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Four Gymnosperm Phyla
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The idea
Living gymnosperms fall into four phyla: conifers, seeds in cones; cycads, palm-like leaves; ginkgo, one living lineage; and gnetophytes, vessel elements.
In practice
Pine and spruce are conifers; Ginkgo biloba is the sole living member of its phylum, unlike any other seed-plant group.
Where people slip
Ginkgo's single living lineage does not mean the phylum was always rare — its fossil record shows far greater past diversity.
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