The gymnosperms are a group of seed plants which includes conifers , cycads , Ginkgo . The gymnosperms and angiosperms together comprise the spermatophytes or seed plants . By far the largest group of living gymnosperms are the conifers ( pines , cypresses , and relatives ) , followed by cycads , Gnetales ( Gnetophyta , Ephedra and Welwitschia ) , and Ginkgo ( a single living species ) .