Living fossil

Cycas plant as Living fossil

Cycas is ancient plant. Little change is produce in it. It has retained most the primitive characteristics.It is therefore commonly called as living fossil. It means that it is plant which is present in current form like its fossil form. It retained many features. These feature are. 
 (1)   It is small plant with unbranched stem and pinnate leaves. 
 (2) Like extinct plants cycas retain fern like leaves. Its seeds are present on the leaves. 
 (3)  Their stem contain a large pith scanty wood and thick cortex. 
 (4)  Stems of cycas and stem of ferns are covered with persistant leaf bases.Their foliage is               fern like.Both show circinate vernation. 
 (5)  Ferns and Cycas both have leaf like mega sporophylls. 
 (6)  Female sporophylls of cycas form a loose crown. It is like male sporophylls of                            Bennettitales.    
   (7)  Its ovule is large in size and naked. The structure of their ovules is resembles                              with seeds.     
  (8)  Cycas retain large out put of microspore form microsporangia
  (9)  Sperms have flagella and thus motile both cycas primitive plant. 

     Fossil resin or amber  It is obtained from the Pinus succinfera. Wood of pinus is used for doors poles and beams. Plywood is prepared from Podocarpes.  Papers like newsprint writing and paper printing are formed from wood pulp of Pinus, Picea and Gnetum. The leaves of cycads are used  for preparing baskets, mates and hats etc. The Fibers are obtained from the leaves of Cycas and Mycrozamia. These are used for stuffing pillows and making mattresses. These are also used for different other perpases.