Gymnosperms are considered primitive plants, while angiosperms are advanced.
There are a few characteristic differences between them.
Gymnosperms vs Angiosperms
| Sl.No | Character | Gymnosperms | Angiosperms |
| 1 | Basic feature | These are non-flowering plants that produce seeds | These are flowering plants that produce seeds. |
| 2 | Seed feature | The seeds are naked and found in scales, leaves, or as cones. | The seeds are very well enclosed in the ovary of the plant. |
| 3 | Leaf scar | The leaves have a scar as a characteristic feature. | No leaf scar is present |
| 4 | Leaf anatomy | The leaves are usually dimorphic. The foliage leaves are green, simple, needle-like, or pinnately compounded, while the scaly leaves are usually minute and deciduous. | The leaves are usually flat having a proper lamina, petiole and can be simple or compound in nature. |
| 5 | Life cycle | The leaves are evergreen or perennial. | The leaves are shed and die during autumn. |
| 6 | Plant form | Gymnosperms are mostly woody plants | Angiosperms have a variety of plant forms, such as trees, shrubs, and herbs. |
| 7 | Wood | A soft type of wood. | usually hardwood |
| 8 | Reproduction | The cones in gymnosperms are unisexual in nature | The flowers in angiosperms can be bisexual or unisexual. |
| 9 | Pollination method | Usually wind pollination | The angiosperms also rely on animals for pollination. |
| 10 | Cotyledons | absent in gymnosperms | Cotyledons present cotyledons and are divided further into monocots and dicots |
| 11 | Number of a set of chromosomes | a haploid set of chromosomes | A diploid set of chromosomes. |
| 12 | Xylem vessels and companion cells | Only found in Gnetales | Found in most of the plants except some vessel-less genera |
| 13 | ovary, style, and stigma | Absent | Present |
| 14 | Double fertilization, triple fusion phenomena | Double fertilization and triple fusion phenomena are absent | Angiosperm exhibits the triple fusion and double fertilization in their life cycle. |
| 15 | Endosperm formation | Endosperm formation in gymnosperms occurs before fertilization | The endosperm formation in angiosperms takes place after fertilization. It is a result of triple fusion, and hence, it is triploid. |
| 16 | Nuclear divisions | free nuclear divisions occur in the zygote of gymnosperms | Free nuclear divisions are not seen in the zygote of angiosperms. |
| 17 | Tissue formation | The tissues in gymnosperms are less complex than in angiosperms. The tissue remains simple. | The tissue formed in angiosperms is more complex than that of gymnosperms. |
| 18 | Distribution | The gymnosperms are evergreen trees and shrubs with xerophytic adaptations. They are mostly found in areas that do not have enough water. There are about 1,000 species found. | The angiosperms have a variety of trees, shrubs, and herbs found in seasonal weather. This group is the most populated group, with over 260,000 species recorded to date, which holds second position after insects in terms of their diversity. |
| 19 | Uses to man | They are commonly used for lumber: pine, spruce, fir. | The angiosperms provide all plant-based food as well as livestock feed. Grains, fruits, legumes, nightshades, potatoes, tomatoes, gourds, and cabbages are all angiosperm products. |
| 20 | Examples | Pine, spruce, fir, cycads, Pinus, conifers, Ginkgo biloba, zamia, etc. | lilies, orchids, grasses, roses, peas, oaks, maples, sunflowers, eucalyptus, etc. |
