PINACEAE THE PINE FAMILY GYMNOSPERM FAMILIES 01 PINACEAE THE PINE FAMILY
PINACEAE Known in fossils since the Cretaceous. Trees, rarely shrubs. About 10 genera and about 225 species. Mostly in the northern hemisphere. Range from the tropics to beyond the Arctic Circle. Four subfamilies based on the morphology of the cone, seed and leaf.
PINACEAE Four genera are found in N America: Pinus: pines Larix: larches Picea: spruces Pseudotsuga: Douglas fir Tsuga: hemlocks Abies: firs
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FAMILY HABIT: trees, seldom shrubs LEAVES: deciduous or persistent; spirally arranged; solitary or in fascicles; needle-like or linear; with resin canals. MALE CONES: solitary or in clusters; shed annually; ovoid, ellipsoid or cylindric. FEMALE CONES: maturing in 1-3 seasons, shed or persistent; solitary or in cluster; scales overlapping; spirally arranged; thin or woody; with two inverted adaxial ovules.