Many gymnosperms are evergreens with a wide variety of leaf structures. Conifers, cycads, ginkgoes, and gnetaleans are in this class. Cycads grow fern or palmlike leaves. Their seeds are borne in large cones. Many species have unbranched, erect stems, while others have partially underground stems called tubers.
Some cycads are trees.
Ginkgoes are easily recognized by their fan-shaped leaves. They bear fleshy seeds at the end of short branches. Only one species of ginkgo exists today. Gnetalean seeds are borne in complex cones. They vary widely in appearance and and typically live in deserts and tropical rain forests.