Which one of the following is the characteristic feature of gymnosperms?

Correct Answer: (2) Seeds are naked

The word Gymnosperm comes from Greek — gymnos (naked) and sperma (seed). Gymnosperms are plants in which the ovules are not enclosed by any ovary wall and remain exposed before and after fertilization. As a result, the seeds that develop are naked and not enclosed within fruits.

Other options are incorrect because:

• Option (1): Enclosed seeds are a feature of angiosperms, not gymnosperms.
• Option (3): Gymnosperms do produce seeds.
• Option (4): Gymnosperms do not have flowers; they reproduce through cones.