Conifer
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pinophyta | |||||||
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![]() Trees of a Pinophyta species:
Araucaria heterophylla (Araucariaceae) |
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Scientific classification | |||||||
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Cordaitales † Pinales Pinaceae - Pine family Araucariaceae - Araucaria family Podocarpaceae - Yellow-wood family Sciadopityaceae - Umbrella-pine family Cupressaceae - Cypress family Cephalotaxaceae - Plum-yew family Taxaceae - Yew family Vojnovskyales † Voltziales † |
The conifers, also known as division Coniferae, are cone-bearing seed plants and woody plants, most are trees with just a few being shrubs. Typical examples of conifers include cedars, cypresses, douglas-firs, firs, junipers, kauris, larches, pines, redwoods, spruces, and yews. Species of conifers can be found in almost all parts of the world, and are often the most common plants in their habitats, as in the taiga, for example. Conifers are of great economic value, and their wood is mainly used for timber and paper making; the wood of conifers is known as softwood. The division Coniferae contains about 700 living species.