The characteristic reproductive bodies of both angiosperms (flowering plants) and gymnosperms (conifers, cycads, and ginkgos) and the ovary that encloses it. A seed consists of a miniature undeveloped plant (the embryo), which, alone or in the company of stored food for its early development after germination, is surrounded by a protective coat (the testa). Seeds are frequently small in size and suited to perform a wide variety of functions, such as multiplication, perennation (surviving seasons of stress such as winter), dormancy (a state of arrested development), and dispersal.