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.