Pinaceae

Pinaceae, Pine family
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Pinophyta Class: Pinopsida Order: Pinales Family: Pinaceae
Genera
Subfamily Pinoideae     Pinus - pines  Subfamily Piceoideae     Picea - spruces  Subfamily Laricoideae     Cathaya     Larix - larches     Pseudotsuga –         Douglas-firs  Subfamily Abietoideae     Abies - firs     Cedrus - cedars     Keteleeria     Nothotsuga     Pseudolarix     Tsuga - hemlock

The Family Pinaceae (Lindley, 1836), or the Pine family, is in the Order Pinales and includes most of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as true cedar, hemlock, larch, pine, spruce, and fir in 9 to 11 genera and nearly 200 species. These trees and shrubs are mostly found in the North Temperate zone, are evergreen, resinous, monoecious, with opposite or whorled branches, and spirally arranged, linear (needle-like) leaves. Male cones are small and herbaceous; female cones are large and usually woody. Seeds occur two to a scale and are usually winged. Embryos are multicotyledonous.

Reference

• Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The Plant Book. A portable dictionary of the higher plants. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 706 p. ISBN 0 521 34060 8.