Gymnospermous plants - GYMNOSPERMS

A common feature of gymnosperms is, as it is in the name, the formation of seeds that
are not covered by carpels- plodolisty. They differ from angiosperms primarily by the
structure of the generative organs and the way of sexual reproduction. Gymnosperms lack
typical flowers. During pollination, the pollen grain passes directly to the egg, because the
stigma and flower envelopes are missing. Fertilization is provided by only one male gamete
(sperm cell). The seeds are generally winged and spread by the wind. Unlike angiosperms,
they rarely reproduce vegetatively.

Most of the (recent) gymnosperms living today are included in the division Pinophyta
- Pines.

1. Subkingdom – Podríša : Vyššie rastliny (Cormobionta, Embryobionta)

1. Division - oddelenie: ✝ Kordaitorasty (Cordaitophyta)
2. Division - oddelenie: Borovicorasty - Pines (Pinophyta)
3. Division - oddelenie: ✝ Lyginodendrorasty (Lyginodendrophyta)
4. Division - oddelenie: Cykasorasty (Cycadophyta)

1.Division - oddelenie: ✝ Kordaitorasty (Cordaitophyta)

Cordaitophyta (Cordaitophyta) are fossil trees that probably evolved from horsetails
in the younger Protozoa - prvohory (Carboniferous). They participated in the creation of
black coal. All pines probably evolved from cordate. The most famous representative was the
genus Cordaites.

Impression of a leaf of fossil wood of the genus Cordaites

2.Division - oddelenie: Borovicorasty - Pines (Pinophyta)

Currently, the group of plants belonging to the Division of pines (Pinophyta) is on the
decline. Recent species are mostly trees or shrubs. Despite their relatively low species
representation compared to angiosperms, the population of some pines occupies large areas of
global importance (e.g. taiga coniferous forests).

1. Class - treda: Ginká (Ginkgopsida)
1. Family - čeľaď: Ginkovité (Ginkgoaceae)

Today, only one species survives - Ginkgo biloba. It is the oldest "living fossil", which
has been part of the earth's flora for over 200 million years. It has characteristic fan-shaped
leaves with parallel venation that are bright yellow in autumn and then fall off. The fruit
is fleshy, similar to a drupe, with an edible core. Ginko grows naturally in only one place in
China, in other reagions as a cultivated tree (about 140 individuals grow this way in
Slovakia). It lives to a respectable age of 1,200 to 2,000 years. Ginkgo extract has a positive
effect on blood circulation in the peripheral vascular system.

Ginkgo biloba

2.Class: Conifers – PINOPSIDA - ihličnany

Conifers (Pinopsida) include all conifers originating from Ryniophyta. The leaves
are needle-shaped, mostly non-deciduous, and a vascular bundle runs through their middle.
Many species are used in the paper and wood industry. Conifers are more sensitive to
environmental pollution than deciduous trees or herbs, and they dry out quickly due to acid
rain.

2.Class - trieda: Ihličnany (Pinopsida)

1. Family - čeľaď: Borovicovité (Pinaceae)
2. Family - čeľaď: Cyprusovité (Cupressaceae)
3. Family - čeľaď: Tisovité (Taxaceae)

Representatives of the pine family (Pinaceae) are trees or bushes with resin canals in
the bark, wood, trunk and leaves. They grow mainly in the regions of the northern temperate
zone. Unisexual flowers grow on the same individual. Woody cones develop from female
cones. In addition to pines - borovica (Pinus), this includes firs - jedľa (Abies) and spruces -
smrek (Picea). You can usually distinguish pine from these two - it has leaves on
brachyblasts, from which they grow in bundles of two, three or five. You can distinguish
a fir from a spruce mainly by the cone - in the case of a fir, it is sessile - sitting and
decays – rozpadavá sa in adulthood, while in a spruce it is hanging and does not decay.
Also, the bark - kôra of the fir is smoother than the bark of the spruce.

Pines in our territory are represented by several domestic species. The most famous of
them, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris – borovica sosna),. In an open space, this tree is widely
branched, but in a limited space it is slender. It reaches a height of 35 m.
 The limbo pine (Pinus cembra – borovica limbová), about 20 m high, also grows
here at high altitudes.

Mountain pine (Pinus mugo – borovica horská), kosodrevina, it is a reclining shrub

growing above the upper forest line, where it forms a separate zone.

A relatively common domesticated species in our country is the black pine (Pinus
nigra – borovica čierna). It differs from the domestic Scots pine by its darker and
significantly longer (up to 15 cm) needles.
 Our home species is white fir (Abies alba – jedľa biela). It reaches a height of 40 m.
The leaves are 3 cm long, glossy and dark green on the upper side, with two whitish stripes
on the lower side. Male flowers are yellow cones, female flowers are green - cones. The fruit
is a cylindrical, upright dark brown cone, up to 15 cm long. Cones are often found only at the
top of the tree. In our country, fir does not form separate communities, it grows together with
beeches -buk. It lives up to 500 years. It is often used as a Christmas tree.
 Of the spruces, the original common spruce (Picea abies – smrek obyčajný). It
grows to a height of 50-60 m. The leaves are needle-like, slender and firm, up to 2 cm long,
sharp-tipped, dark green. Male flowers are red at first, yellow after opening, female are only
red. The fruit is a cylindrical, hanging brown cone, up to 15 cm long. Spruce forms forests
from 1200 to 1600 m above sea level. It has many varieties and cultivars. It is widely
cultivated for the commercial value of its wood.

Deciduous larch (Larix decidua – smsrekovec opadavý) also belongs to the pine
family. It is our only deciduous conifer. It grows to a height of 40 m. The leaves are needle-
like, soft, up to 4 cm long, growing from brachyblasts in bundles of 15. Male flowers are
yellow, drooping, female flowers are red, upright. The fruit is an egg-shaped upright brown
cone, about 4 cm long. It is the original species growing here.
 Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii – duglaská tisolistá) occurs on the west coast of
North America. It is an evergreen conifer with an average height of 60-75 m. It has soft light
green scented - voňavé leaves. It is often grown as an ornamental tree – okrasný strom.

2.Family - čeľaď: Cyprusovité (Cupressaceae)

Evergreen trees and bushes belong to the cypress family (Cupressaceae). It also
includes cypresses – cyprusy (Cupressus) and junipers - borievky (Juniperus), which are
widespread throughout the world. Small leaves are usually needle-like on young individuals,
but scale-like on mature trees. They grow opposite, cross-opposite or in 3-numerous
whorls. They contain resin canals – živicové kanáliky. Male and female flowers are
separate, they can grow on the same or different individual. The fruit is a cone, but in the
case of junipers it is a berry.

Common juniper (Juniperus communis – borievka obyčajná) grows to a height of

6 m. It can also grow as a dense shrub or tree. The leaves are needle-shaped and slender, up to
1-2 cm long, in whorls, sharply pointed, shiny, green, with a wide white stripe on the upper
side. Male flowers are yellow, female small, green, grow on different individuals. The fruit is
a shiny berry-like black cone 6 mm long, with a characteristic gin taste. Special Slovak
alcohol is made up from juniperus - borovička
 Western thuja (Thuja occidentalis – tuja západná) reaches a height of 20 m. Its
leaves are scaly and very small, shiny, yellowish green on the upper side. Male flowers are
red, female yellow-brown, they grow on the same individual. The fruit is an elongated upright
cone, 1 cm long, brown and scaly. Western thuja came to Europe as one of the first North
American species. Breeding resulted in numerous ornamental forms.

The evergreen sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens) reaches a height of up to 100 m. The

leaves are linear, up to 2 cm long, dark green on the upper side, with two white stripes on the
lower side. Male flowers are yellow-brown, female flowers are green. The fruit is a barrel-
shaped to rounded red-brown cone, up to 3 cm long, which ripens in a year. Sequoias have
their origin in the southern states of the USA. They grow on low slopes in coastal areas.
 The mammoth sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) grows to a height of 80 m.
The leaves are up to 8 mm long, sharply pointed, dark blue-green. Male flowers are yellow,
female flowers are green. The fruit is a barrel-shaped cone, up to 7.5 cm long, brown after two
years of ripening. The mammoth sequoia is native to the mountain slopes of California.

3.Family - čeľaď: Tisovité (Taxaceae)

Family: Yews

Representatives of the yew family (Taxaceae) are evergreen trees and shrubs without
resin ducts or with only one duct in the leaves. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped
(čiarkovité až kopijovité) , spirally arranged. Flowers are usually found on separate
individuals. Females mature into a single seed, surrounded by a fleshy scrotum (so-called seed
berry).
 Common yew (Taxus baccata – tis obyčajný) reaches a height of 20 m. The leaves
are linear, up to 3 cm long, dark green on the upper side, with two light stripes on the lower
side. They grow most often in two rows on both sides of the shoot. The male flowers are light
yellow, grow in inflorescences in the axils of the leaves, the female flowers grow singly at the
end of the shoot. The fruit is a single seed, surrounded by a fleshy, usually red sac, 1 cm long.
Common yew is found on calcareous soils in Africa, Southwest Asia and Europe. The entire
plant, except for the red fruit, is highly poisonous. It contains the poisonous alkaloid taxine
and was once used in folk medicine against snake bites and rabies. Exceptionally, it was also
used to strengthen heart activity, increase blood pressure and stimulate intestine function.

3.Division : Lyginodendrophyta ✝ Lyginodendrorasty

Lyginodendrophyta (Lyginodendrophyta), like cordate plants, are fossil trees that

existed from the younger Protozoa to the Jurassic. They are also significant from the point of
view of phylogenyesis, because angiosperms probably evolved from them.
 2. Division: Cycadophyta - Cycads

Cycads (Cycadophyta) are living fossils that appeared on Earth as early as the Upper
Carboniferous, while in the Mesozoic - druhohory they formed the largest part of the
vegetation worldwide. Until now, only one order of cycads (Cycadales) belonging to the
cycad class (Cycadopsida) has been survived. Despite the fact that they are like palm trees in
appearance, they are related to horsetails (Equisetophyta). Cycads were and are tree-like
forms with a thick trunk and long pinnately compound leaves that grow from the top of the
trunk. The fruit consists of a seed drupe.

The most famous representative, still growing in the tropical areas of Sri Lanka, is the
Indian cycad (Cycas circinalis).
 Characterise the following Gymnosperm:

Scots pine
Black pine
Limb pine
Mountain pine
White fir
Common Spruce
Picea punges – silver fir
Deciduous larch
Douglas fir
Common juniper
Western thuja
Common Yew – tis
Evergreen sequoia
Mammoth sequoia
Indian cycad

Nahosemenné rastliny

Spoločným znakom nahosemenných rastlín je, ako názov napovedá, tvorba semien,
ktoré nie sú kryté plodolistami. Od krytosemenných rastlín sa teda odlišujú predovšetkým
stavbou generatívnych orgánov a spôsobom pohlavného rozmnožovania. Nahosemenným
rastlinám chýbajú typické kvety. Pri opelení prechádza peľ priamo k vajíčku, pretože chýba
blizna a kvetné obaly. Oplodnenie zabezpečuje len jedna samčia gaméta (spermatická bunka).
Semená sú spravidla okrídlené a rozširujú sa pomocou vetra. Na rozdiel od krytosemenných
rastlín sa len zriedka rozmnožujú vegetatívne.

Väčšinu dnes žijúcich (recentných) nahosemenných rastlín zaraďujeme do

oddelenia Pinophyta - borovicorasty.

2. podríša: Vyššie rastliny (Cormobionta, Embryobionta)

1. oddelenie: ✝ Kordaitorasty (Cordaitophyta)
2. oddelenie: Borovicorasty (Pinophyta)
3. oddelenie: ✝ Lyginodendrorasty (Lyginodendrophyta)
4. oddelenie: Cykasorasty (Cycadophyta)

Oddelenie: ✝ Kordaitorasty 

Kordaitorasty (Cordaitophyta) sú fosílne dreviny, ktoré sa pravdepodobne vyvinuli z

prasličkorastov v mladších prvohorách (karbón). Spolupodieľali sa na tvorbe čierneho uhlia.
Z kordaitorastov sa zrejme vyvinuli všetky borovicorasty. Najznámejším zástupcom bol
rod Cordaites.
Odtlačok listu fosílnej dreviny rodu Cordaites

Oddelenie: Borovicorasty 

V súčasnosti je skupina rastlín patriacich do oddelenia borovicorastov (Pinophyta) na ústupe.

Recentné druhy predstavujú väčšinou stromovité alebo krovité dreviny. Napriek ich relatívne
nízkemu druhovému zastúpeniu v porovnaní s krytosemennými rastlinami, zaberá populácia
niektorých borovicorastov rozsiahle územia s celosvetovým významom (napr. ihličnaté lesy
tajgy).

Trieda: Ginká 

Ginká (Ginkgopsida) sú stromy druhotne hrubnúce, bohato rozkonárené s rozmanitými

listami, ale najčastejšie s listami vejárovitými. Objavili sa na Zemi začiatkom karbónu a
najbohatšie zastúpenie dosiahli v triase a jure. Ešte v priebehu treťohôr boli rozšírené aj v
Grónsku. Potom postupne vplyvom meniacej sa klímy ustupovali.

2. oddelenie: Borovicorasty (Pinophyta)
1. trieda: Ginká (Ginkgopsida)
1. čeľaď: Ginkovité (Ginkgoaceae)

Čeľaď: Ginkovité 

Dnes žije už len jediný druh - ginko dvojlaločné (Ginkgo biloba). Je to najstaršia "žijúca
fosília", ktorá je súčasťou zemskej flóry už vyše 200 mil rokov. Má charakteristické
vejárovité listy s rovnobežnou žilnatinou, ktoré sú na jeseň jasnožlté, potom opadnú. Plod je
dužinatý, podobný kôstkovici, s jedlým jadrom. Ginko rastie prirodzene už len na jednom
mieste v Číne, inde ako kultúrna drevina (na Slovensku rastie takto asi 140 jedincov). Dožíva
sa úctihodného veku 1 200 až 2 000 rokov. Výťažok z ginka pôsobí pozitívne na prekrvenie
periférneho cievneho systému.

Ginko dvojlaločné

Trieda: Ihličnany 

Medzi ihličnany (Pinopsida) patria všetky ihličnaté stromy pochádzajúce z ryniorastov. Listy
majú ihlicovité, zväčša neopadavé a ich stredom sa tiahne cievny zväzok. Veľa druhov sa
využíva v papierenskom a drevárskom priemysle. Ihličnany sú citlivejšie na znečistenie
prostredia ako listnáče alebo byliny a vplyvom kyslých dažďov rýchlo vysychajú.

Niekedy sa môžete stretnúť s označením tejto triedy ako ihličiny - je to to isté, aj keď podľa
môjho názoru nespisovné.

3. oddelenie: Borovicorasty (Pinophyta)
1. trieda: Ihličnany (Pinopsida)
 1. čeľaď: Borovicovité (Pinaceae)
2. čeľaď: (Cupressaceae)
3. čeľaď: Tisovité (Taxaceae)
4. čeľaď: Tisovcovité (Taxodiaceae)

Čeľaď: Borovicovité 

Zástupcovia čeľade borovicovitých (Pinaceae) sú stromy alebo kry so živicovými kanálikmi

v kôre, dreve, lyku a listoch. Rastú prevažne v oblastiach severného mierneho pásma.
Jednopohlavné kvety rastú na tom istom jedincovi. Zo samičích šištíc sa vyvíjajú zdrevnatené
šišky. Okrem borovíc (Pinus) sem patria jedle (Abies) a smreky (Picea). Borovicu spravidla
od týchto dvoch odlíšite - má listy na brachyblastoch, z ktorých vyrastajú vo zväzočkoch po
dvoch, troch alebo piatich. Jedľu od smreku odlíšite hlavne pomocou šišky - u jedli je v
dospelosti sediaca a rozpadavá, u smreku je visiaca a nerozpadavá. Taktiež kôra jedle je po
opadnutí listov hladšia ako kôra smreku.

Borovice na našom území zastupuje viacero domácich druhov. Z nich najznámejšia, borovica

lesná (Pinus sylvestris), je známa aj ako borovica sosna. Na otvorenom priestranstve je tento
strom široko rozkonárený, v obmedzenom priestore je však štíhly. Dosahuje výšku 35 m. Vo
veľkých nadmorských výškach rastie u nás aj borovica limbová (Pinus cembra), vysoká asi
20 m. Borovica horská (Pinus mugo), známa ako kosodrevina, je poliehavý ker, rastúci nad
hornou hranicou lesa, kde vytvára samostatné pásmo. Pomerne častý u nás zdomácnený druh
je borovica čierna (Pinus nigra). Od domácej borovice lesnej sa odlišuje tmavším a výrazne
dlhším (do 15 cm) ihličím.

Domácim druhom u nás je jedľa biela (Abies alba). Dosahuje výšku 40 m. Listy sú

dlhé 3 cm, so