Which type of plants are referred to as gymnosperms?

Gymnosperms are defined as non-flowering plants that produce seeds that are not enclosed within an ovary or fruit, which is why they are often described as having "naked seeds." This characteristic is fundamental to gymnosperms, distinguishing them from angiosperms, or flowering plants, which have seeds enclosed in fruit. Gymnosperms include groups such as conifers (like pines and firs), cycads, ginkgo, and gnetophytes. The seeds of gymnosperms typically develop on the surfaces of cone scales or other structures, rather than within an ovary.

In contrast, flowering plants, or angiosperms, produce seeds that are enclosed in fruits, and plants that reproduce primarily through spores, such as ferns and mosses, do not belong to the category of seed plants at all. Plants with large, broad leaves could belong to various groups, including angiosperms and even some gymnosperms, but this characteristic is not exclusive to any particular group and does not define gymnosperms specifically. Thus, the defining feature of gymnosperms as non-flowering, seed-bearing plants with naked seeds makes that answer the correct choice.