| Characteristic | Gymnosperms | Angiosperms |
| Growth Habit | Woody trees & shrubs | Woody or herbaceous |
| Xylem | Tracheids | Vessels and Tracheids |
| Reproductive structures | Cones (usually) | Flowers & fruits |
| Pollination | Wind | Animals, wind, water |
| Fertilization | Egg + Sperm = zygote | Egg + Sperm = zygote Polar nuclei + sperm = endosperm |
| Seeds | Exposed | Enclosed within fruit |
1. Seed production in closed carpels with nutrient reserve.
2. Efficient water-conducting cells (vessel elements + tracheids).
3. Efficient carbohydrate-conducting cells (sieve tube elements + sieve cells).
4. Leaves -- broad, expanded blades for maximum photosynthesis; many are deciduous and can be shed during times of stress.
5. Modified stem and root storage organs.
6. Adaptation to animal pollination and seed dispersal mechanisms.