As a Spermatophyte
The Spermatophytes
The spermatophytes are the seed-producing plants, of which there are two groups: the Gymnospermae which produce cones, and the Angiospermae which produce flowers and fruit.
Gymnospermae
Gymnospermae, also called gymnosperms, are the oldest of the two groups, and date from about 319 million years ago in the late Carboniferous period.
‘Gymnosperm’ is from the Ancient Greek γυμνός, gymnós, ‘naked’, and σπέρμα, seed: ‘naked seed [seed not enclosed (by a fruit)]’.
Gymnosperms produce cones, and include conifers, cycads, gnetophytes, and the sole surviving ‘living fossil’ of its group, Ginkgo biloba (the maidenhair tree).
Cones are the sex organs of gymnosperms. Cones are unisexual, either male or female. Male cones produce pollen (made of pollen grains which contain sperm), and their female counterparts produce ovules (which contain unfertilised egg cells). Fertilised ovules become seeds.
Angiospermae
Angiospermae, also called angiosperms, are all flowering plants, and the earliest known fossil (of pollen) dates to around 134 million years ago in the Cretaceous period. The earliest known plant fossil dates from 125 million years ago, also in the Cretaceous.
Angiosperm’ is from the Ancient Greek ἀγγεῖον, angeîon, ‘vessel, jar, receptacle’, and σπέρμα, seed: ‘seed in a container (fruit)’.
Angiosperms produce flowers.
Flowers are the sex organs of angiosperms. Like cones, flowers also produce pollen (also comprised of sperm-containing pollen grains) and ovules (also comprised of egg cells). But unlike cones, which are only ever male or female, flowers can be male, female, or both (hermaphroditic).
Fertilised ovules become seeds enclosed by a fruit.
The jujube tree, Ziziphus jujuba Mill.
The jujube tree is a species known as Ziziphus jujuba Mill..
It is a spermatophyte, or a plant which produces seeds.
More specifically it is an angiosperm, or a plant which produces seeds in fruit from fertilised flowers.
About the Author
BSc(Hons), U.Syd. - double major in biochemistry and microbiology, with honours in microbiology
PhD, U.Syd - soil microbiology
Stumbled into IT and publishing of all things.
Discovered jujube trees and realised that perhaps I should have been an agronomist...
So I combined all the above passions and interests into this website and its blog and manuals, on which I write about botany, soil chemistry, soil microbiology and biochemistry - and yes, jujubes too!
Please help me buy a plant if you found this article interesting or useful!