2. Characteristics
 Most diverse and familiar of the gymnosperms
 Consist of about 50 genera of trees with approximately 550 species
worldwide
Include the world’s tallest and largest plants; from moderate to gigantic
size
Note that conifers are never vines, herbs, or annuals, and they never
have
bulbs or rhizomes
The leaves of conifers are always simple, being either needles or
scales,
and are perennial
Conifers are dominant species at high elevations

3. LIFE CYCLE

4. CLASSIFICATION OF DIVISION
CONIFEROPHYTA
Order Cordaitales Family: Araucariaceae
Family: Cordaitaceae Genus: metasequoia (dawn
redwood)
Genus: Cordaites sequoia (redwood)
sequoiadendrion (giant
sequoia)
Order Voltziales taxodium (bald cypress)
Family: Voltziaceae Family: podocarpaceae
Genus: Labachia Genus: dacrydium
podocarpus (podocarp)
Order Coniferales Family: Cephalotaxaceae
Family: Pinaceae Genus: cephalotaxus
Genus: abies (firs)
cedrus (cedar) Order Taxales
larix (larch) Family: Taxaceae
picea (spruce) Genus: taxus (yew)
pinus (pine) torreya
pseudotsuga (Douglas Fir)
tsuga (hemlock)

6. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF CONIFERS
 They occur in extensive forest that supply us
with wood used for lumber and paper
 Chemicals are also obtained from conifers,
example of which is cellulose ; after being
purified, it can be converted into rayon,
cellophane and other household products
 Venetian Turpene, extracted from larch, is an
important material for artists.