Gymnosperm : General Introduction
Gymnosperms (Gr: gymnos: naked, sperma: seeds) refer to those plants whose seeds are naked and not enclosed inside the fruit. In other words, ovary is absent. The gymnosperms are the most ancient ...
Economic importance of Gymnosperms
Gymnosperms include many plants of high economic value. Some of the economic importances of gymnosperm are mentioned below:
- Many gymnospermous plants are usually cultivated in the gardens as ornamental value. Some examples of such plants are Cycas revoluta, Thuja, Araucaria etc
- Some gymnospermous plants like Pine ,Cedar, fir ,Spurce etc are of great importance for their light coloured, straight grained and light weighted soft wood.
- Sago as a carbohydrate produced from Cycas has food value.
- Seeds of many Cycas and conifers are edible.
- Taxol an alkaloid found in Taxus baccata is anticancer drug for breast and ovarian cancer.
- Ephedra yields ephedrine and pseudoephedrine which are used in medicine of asthma and bronchitis. Fruit juice of Ephedra is used in respiratory trouble.
- Wood pulps of some gymnosperms like Pinus Picea Abies are used to manufacture paper.
- Some gymnospermous plants yield essential oils that are used in flavouring agent and in perfumery.
- Resin is an exudates extracted from conifers. It is widely used to manufacture turpentines, oil , paints and medicine.
