Question: 159. Which one of the following is the characteristic feature of gymnosperms?
(1) Seeds are enclosed in fruits.
(2) Seeds are naked.
(3) Seeds are absent.
(4) Gymnosperms have flowers for reproduction.
Answer: Option (2)
Explanation:
Gymnosperms are seed-producing vascular plants, but unlike angiosperms, their seeds are not enclosed within fruits. Instead, the seeds are exposed (naked) and typically borne on the surface of scales in cones.
They do not produce flowers, and they definitely have seeds, so options (3) and (4) are incorrect. Seeds enclosed in fruits is a feature of angiosperms, not gymnosperms.
Therefore, the characteristic feature of gymnosperms is that their seeds are naked.