Question

Cycas is a: ____.

• A. Bryophyte
• B. Pteridophyte
• C. Gymnosperm
• D. Angiosperm

Hint:

Remember the two main examples of Gymnosperms highlighted in standard botany text: Cycas (unbranched stem, compound leaves) and Pinus (branched stem, needle-like leaves).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Gymnosperms are a group of seed-producing plants characterized by naked ovules that are not enclosed within an ovary wall.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Cycas is a classic genus belonging to the division Gymnospermae (subgroup Cycadales). It has an unbranched stem and large, pinnately compound leaves that form a crown at the top, superficially resembling a palm tree. Because it does not produce flowers or fruits, its seeds develop exposed on specialized structures called megasporophylls rather than inside a fruit cavity.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Cycas is a Gymnosperm.

Answer 2

The question asks which plant group Cycas belongs to, so each option is checked against Cycas's actual features.

1. Bryophyte: Bryophytes are small, non-vascular plants such as mosses that need external water for fertilisation. Cycas is a large, woody plant with true vascular tissue, so it clearly does not belong here.
2. Pteridophyte: Pteridophytes, like ferns, have vascular tissue but reproduce using spores rather than seeds. Cycas does produce seeds, which rules this option out.
3. Gymnosperm: Cycas has an unbranched, woody stem topped with a crown of large, pinnately compound leaves, giving it a palm-like appearance, though it is unrelated to true palms. It produces seeds on exposed structures called megasporophylls, arranged in cone-like clusters, rather than inside an enclosed fruit. Seeds not enclosed within an ovary wall is the defining feature of gymnosperms, and Cycas fits this exactly.
4. Angiosperm: Angiosperms produce flowers and enclose their seeds within a fruit developed from the ovary wall. Cycas produces neither flowers nor fruits, so this option does not apply.

Cycas's exposed, cone-borne seeds and lack of flowers or fruit place it firmly among the gymnosperms.

Therefore, the correct answer is Gymnosperm.