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How do pine and other gymnosperm seeds differ from flowering-plant seeds?

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Cluster of bright red seeds emerging from the cone-shaped fruit of a magnolia grandiflora, surrounded by large, glossy green leaves. — Seed Fruit and seeds of the southern magnolia (*Magnolia grandiflora*). The fruit is an aggregate of follicles, and each follicle bears a single red seed.

The primary distinction between gymnosperm seeds and flowering-plant (angiosperm) seeds lies in their development and protection.

Seed Development and Protection

Gymnosperms: These plants produce "naked seeds" that are typically formed on the scales of unisexual cones (strobili) rather than within an ovary. Because they lack flowers, their seeds are exposed to the air at the time of pollination and are not enclosed by a fruit.123
Angiosperms: In contrast, flowering plants develop their seeds within an ovary. Following fertilization, this structure matures into a fruit, which serves to protect and assist in the dissemination of the seeds.142

Nutritional Differences

The source of nourishment for the developing embryo also differs significantly:
* Gymnosperms: The embryo is nourished by the massive, starch-filled female gametophyte tissue.53
* Angiosperms: These plants undergo double fertilization, a process that produces a unique, nutrient-rich tissue called endosperm to feed the developing embryo.53