1. Conifers are the most widespread gymnosperms, found worldwide in varying conditions, dominating forests in parts of North America, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere. 2. They are typically found in less productive environments with long cold seasons, dry or nutrient-deficient soils. 3. Conifer wood has tracheids rather than vessels, allowing water to move between cells and prevent freezing during cold periods.

1. Coniferophyta http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/Biology/botf99/gynopsperms/conifers.html

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7. Continue… Note in the images on the left: on right..the wood cut is parallel to the tracheids.. the "dots" are the contiguous pores. On the left is a cross-section cutting through the tracheids - to the left of the image are the thinner walled cells that form in the spring and to the right, the heavier walled cells laid in the summer when less water is available. The big 'hole' at about 2 o'clock is a resin canal.

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13. Life Cycle

16. Some Pictures Cluster of microsporangiate strobili of Pinus resinosa Longitudinal section through a microsporangiate cone of pine consisting of microsporophylls spirally arranged around the central axis bearing microsporophylls.

17. Continue… Detail showing microsporangia on lower surface of microsporophylls of pine Longitudinal section of a megasporangiate cone of pine consisting of seed-scale complexes spirally arranged around a central axis.

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20. Araucariaceae Agathis A. robusta

21. Agathis australis A robusta leaves DW

22. Bough ovulate cones DW Large trunk AF Ovulate cone AF

23. Continue… Young ovulate cone

24. Bark AF Habit DW Older bark AF

25. Trunk DW

26. Wollemia Adult juvinal foliage JP

27. Colony KH Female cone KH

28. Fossil detail KH

29. Collecting seeds Crown male cones

30. Fossil

31. Male cone

32. Araucaria Branches leaves

33. Older male cones DW

34. Trunk RK Young male cones DW

35. Mature tree DW Older ovulate cones AF

36. Young female cones DW

37. Young tree RK

38. A heterophylla Branch RK Microsporangiate cone AF

39. Tree AF Habit ovulate cones AF

40. Terminal ovulate cones AF Tree RK

41. A cunninghamii Female cones DW Trunk DW

42. Tree DW Vegetative branch DW

43. Araucaria bidwillii Bough DW

44. Needles DW

45. Seed scale complex AF

46. Young growth AF Lateral branches DW

47. Older branch with needles DW

48. Tree AF Young tree DW