Pinales

(botany) An order of gymnospermous woody trees and shrubs in the class Pinopsida, including pine, spruce, fir, cypress, yew, and redwood; the largest plants are the conifers.

An order of the class Pinopsida (=Coniferopsida), of the division Pinophyta (Gymnospermae), with about 50 genera and 600 species still living. All are woody plants, as shrubs or trees, and are often the principal trees of the forests worldwide. Pine, spruce, fir, hemlock, cedar, larch, juniper, cypress, yew, redwood, big tree, kauri, podocarpus, araucaria, and others are all part of this order. The big tree (Sequoia gigantea) of California is the largest plant, reaching a height of 330 ft (100 m) and a diameter of 33 ft (10 m), and being over 3500 years old. Leaves are usually needlelike or scalelike, with a few exceptions such as Agathis (kauri), Podocarpus, Phyllocladus, and Araucaria. Most species are evergreen, bearing their leaves year-round. Modern conifers form some of the most extensive forests in recent times, mainly occurring in the temperate regions or mountainous regions of the subtropics. The families of extant conifers are Araucariaceae, Pinaceae, Taxodiaceae, Cupressaceae, Podocarpaceae, Taxaceae, and Cephalotaxaceae. The phylogenetic relations among these families are practically unknown. See also Pinophyta; Pinopsida.

The cones are unisexual. In some species, both male and female cones are borne on the same plant (monoecious); in others, on separate plants (dioecious). Usually, a year intervenes between pollination and fertilization, and another year between fertilization and embryo formation. See also Reproduction (plant).

The conifers are a principal source of lumber and pulp for paper and wood products. Turpentine, tar, resin, and essential oils are some by-products. The group yields little food for humans; some seeds are edible (pine, pinyon, or piñon nuts). See also Pine nut; Pine terpene.

Pinales
Male cones on a pine branch
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Pinophyta Class: Pinopsida Order: Pinales
Families
Pinaceae, pine family Araucariaceae, araucaria family Podocarpaceae, yellow-wood family Sciadopityaceae, umbrella-pine family Cupressaceae, cypress family Cephalotaxaceae, plum-yew family Taxaceae, yew family

The Order Pinales in the Division Pinophyta, Class Pinopsida comprises all the extant conifers. This order was formerly known as the Coniferales.

The distinguishing characteristic is the reproductive structure known as a cone produced by all Pinales. All of the extant conifers, such as cedar, pine, spruce, fir, larch, redwood, cypress, juniper, and yew are included here. Some fossil conifers, however, belong to other distinct orders within the Division Pinophyta (see for details).

The yews have in the past been separated into a distinct order of their own (Order Taxales), but recent genetic evidence indicates that yews are monophyletic with other conifers and they are now included in the Order Pinales.

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