About one in five plants are estimated to be at risk of extinction with a large proportion of these found in tropical rainforests; the main threats are linked to human activities, in particular habitat transformation and harvesting1,2. Gymnosperms are among the most threatened living organisms on th...

Gymnosperm taxa are incredibly diverse in many traits, including taxa with evergreen or deciduous leaves; broad, compound, needle-like or scale-like leaves; trees, shrubs, and lianas; and taxa with seed cones that range from fleshy to woody. Although less appreciated, xylem conduits are also diverse...

Living gymnosperms comprise four major groups: cycads, Ginkgo, conifers, and gnetophytes. Relationships among/within these lineages have not been fully resolved. Next generation sequencing has made available a large number of sequences, including both plastomes and single-copy nuclear genes, for rec...

A new classification and linear sequence of the gymnosperms based on previous molecular and morphological phylogenetic and other studies is presented. Currently accepted genera are listed for each family and arranged according to their (probable) phylogenetic position. A full synonymy is provided, a...

As our understanding of plant evolutionary relationships increases it is important to provide useful and practical resources that help utilise and explain the resulting classification systems. The Gymnosperms Handbook is the second in the series of practical handbooks to be published by Plant Gatewa...

Gymnosperms are an ancient and widespread nonflowering plant lineage of great economic and ecological importance. With only 1,000 living species, gymnosperms represent four of the five seed plant lineages including conifers (Pinophyta), cycads (Cycadophyta), ginkgos (Ginkgophyta), and gnetophytes (G...

Gymnosperm taxa are incredibly diverse in many traits, including taxa with evergreen or deciduous leaves; broad, compound, needle-like or scale-like leaves; trees, shrubs, and lianas; and taxa with seed cones that range from fleshy to woody. Although less appreciated, xylem conduits are also diverse...

Background and Aims Gymnosperms are either wind-pollinated (anemophilous) or both wind- and insect-pollinated (ambophilous). Regardless of pollination mode, ovular secretions play a key role in pollen capture, germination and growth; they are likely also involved in pollinator reward. Little is kno...