Description ³

Trees or rarely shrubs, monoecious, usually evergreen, the wood resinous. Leaves linear, spirally arranged. Flowers arranged in cones. Male cones lateral with numerous scales, each bearing 2 pollen-sacs. Female cones lateral or ± terminal, woody, each scale bearing 2 ovules on the adaxial surface.

Summary ⁴

Pinaceae (the pine family) are trees or shrubs, including many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces. The family is included in the order Pinales, formerly known as Coniferales. Pinaceae are supported as monophyletic by its protein-type sieve cell plastids, pattern of proembryogeny, and lack of bioflavonoids. They are the largest extant conifer family in species diversity, with between 220-250 species (depending on taxonomic opinion) in 11 genera, and the second-largest (after Cupressaceae) in geographical range, found in most of the Northern Hemisphere with the majority of the species in temperate climates but ranging from sub arctic to tropical. The family often forms the dominant component of boreal, coastal and montane forests. One species just crosses the equator in southeast Asia. Major centres of diversity are found in the mountains of southwest China, Mexico, central Japan and California.

Fuentes y créditos

1. (c) Dick Culbert, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/92252798@N07/11332867083/
2. (c) Dick Culbert, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/92252798@N07/11332818964/
3. (c) Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/23374091
4. (c) Wikipedia, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Family

Más información

• NaturaLista página del taxón
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos

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