Gymnosperms(pine cones)...?

do pine cones explode when they are "born".





i'm not tryin to ask a stupid ? or anything but i read it somewhere. and just want to clarify it. cuz i kno that when the two pinecones reproduce the other pinecone is formed in the female pinecone, so it would make some sense if the pine cone basically exploded so the other one could grow.





just wonderin and thx.

Gymnosperms(pine cones)...?
The male pine cone produces pollen which fertilizes the egg in the seed within the female cone. Once fertilized it is then dispersed (falls out of cone) where it can germinate and form a new pine tree. There is no explosion sorry to say. (although that would be interesting)
Reply:This site, chapter Phylum (Division) Coniferophyta (Conifers)


http://www.biology.iastate.edu/Courses/2...


shows photos of the different cones ( male %26gt; Staminate cones, female %26gt; Gametophyte System and mature cones ).


Pollen ripen earlier or later than egg cell to make sure not to fertilize an egg from same tree. They are wind-distributed.


After fertilization seeds ripen under the scales of female cones; male cones are dropped





Here you find a video of whole process:


http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-68475/P...

gert