The seed-producing plant group that includes modern conifers is the gymnosperms.
Gymnosperms are vascular plants whose seeds are not enclosed inside an ovary or fruit. Their ovules and developing seeds are typically exposed on cone scales or modified leaves, which explains the name: gymnosperm means “裸 seed” or “naked seed” from Greek roots. Conifers such as pines, firs, spruces, and redwoods are the largest living gymnosperm group.
Seed plants evolved before flowering plants, giving their descendants an important advantage in reproduction on land. Seeds protect embryos, store nutrients, and can remain dormant until conditions improve. Gymnosperms generally use pollen carried by wind, rather than relying on flowers and animal pollinators.
The group also includes cycads, ginkgo, and gnetophytes such as Ephedra and Welwitschia. A common mistake is to call ferns or bryophytes seed plants: they reproduce with spores. Angiosperms also produce seeds, but they are flowering plants whose seeds develop inside fruits.