List of gymnosperm families

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Cypresse, painted by Vincent van Gogh Vincent Van Gogh 0016.jpg
Cypresse, painted by Vincent van Gogh

The gymnosperms consist of five orders of seed plants: Cupressales, Cycadales, Ginkgoales, Gnetales and Pinales. [lower-alpha 1] They developed more than 350 million years ago, long before flowering plants, according to the fossil record. The name comes from the Greek for "naked seed"; the egg cells are not protected by ovaries, as in flowering plants. [4]

Contents

Gymnosperms are divided into 12 families of trees, shrubs and woody vines. [5] Sequoiadendron giganteum , the giant redwood, is the largest tree in the world, and Sequoia sempervirens , the coastal redwood, is the tallest. [6] Ginkgo trees tolerate urban pollutants well, and are often planted in and near cities. [7] The pine family is the main source of softwood timber, paper pulp and turpentine. [8] The flexible wood of the yew family is used in longbows and musical instruments. [9]

Glossary

From the glossary of botanical terms:

Families

Families
Family and a common name [5] [lower-alpha 2] Type genus and etymology [lower-alpha 3] Total genera; global distributionDescription and uses Order [1] Type genus images
Araucariaceae (kauri-tree family) Araucaria , for the Araucanos (Mapuche) [12] [13] [14] 3 genera, [15] in southern South America, Southeast Asia, and parts of the western Pacific [16] Evergreens with whorled branches. Many of the larger species are harvested for timber. [17] [18] Cupressales
Cupressaceae (cypress family) Cupressus , from Greek and Latin plant names [19] [20] [21] 30 genera, [22] prevalent in the Northern Hemisphere, and scattered in southern temperate zones [16] Trees and shrubs with heavily scented resin. Taxodium is an aquatic tree genus with roots that form knees in some species. Many species provide timber that resists fungal and termite damage. [6] [17] Cupressales
Cycadaceae (sago family) Cycas , from a Greek plant name [23] [24] 1 genus, [25] scattered widely around Southeast Asia, northern Australia, and parts of India and Africa [26] Unisexual trunked plants with leaf bases that periodically sprout new leaves. The raw plants are toxic for humans, but carefully prepared starches from some species are added to certain Asian dishes. [17] [27] Cycadales
Ephedraceae (jointfir family) Ephedra , from Greek and Latin plant names [28] 1 genus, [29] in northern temperate regions, arid zones, and the Andes and other parts of South America [30] Mostly unisexual shrubs and vines. Generally, photosynthesis occurs in the branches rather than the leaves. Many plants contain the medicinal compound ephedrine. [31] [32] Gnetales
Ginkgoaceae (maidenhair-tree family) Ginkgo , from Chinese and Japanese plant names [33] [34] 1 genus, [35] in eastern China [36] Deciduous unisexual trees with fan-like leaves. Trees nearly identical to the modern Ginkgo are frequently found in the fossil record from the Mesozoic Era. [7] Ginkgoales
Gnetaceae (emping family) Gnetum , from a Maluku or Malay plant name [37] 1 genus, [38] scattered in the tropics [30] Unisexual woody vines, and occasionally trees. At least two species are cultivated or gathered for food in Africa and Indonesia. Some plants provide fibre and wood. [17] [37] Gnetales
Pinaceae (pine family) Pinus , from a Latin plant name [39] [40] [41] 11 genera, [42] scattered widely in the Northern Hemisphere [43] Evergreen and deciduous conifers, mostly trees and some shrubs, with heavily scented resin. Leaves are needle-shaped or linear. Pinus pinea is grown commercially for pine nuts. Many species are grown as ornamentals, especially for winter holidays. [8] Pinales
Podocarpaceae (yewpine family) Podocarpus , from Greek for "stalked fruit" [44] [45] [46] 20 genera, [47] scattered in the Southern Hemisphere, in East and Southeast Asia, and in and near Central America and the Caribbean [16] Evergreen trees and shrubs, with a few species that grow in water or on other plants. Timber production has decreased due to overharvesting. [17] [48] Cupressales
Sciadopityaceae (umbrella-pine family) Sciadopitys , from Greek for "umbel" or "parasol" (the leaves) + "fir" [49] [50] 1 genus, [51] in Japan [16] Evergreen trees with unisexual cones and photosynthetic branchlets [52] Cupressales
Taxaceae (yew family) Taxus , from a Latin plant name [53] [54] [55] 5 genera, [56] scattered mainly in the Northern Hemisphere [16] Evergreen shrubs and trees with poisonous berry-like cones [9] Cupressales
Welwitschiaceae (tumbo family) Welwitschia , for Friedrich Welwitsch (1806–1872) [57] 1 genus, [58] in desert regions of southwestern Africa near the coast [30] Unisexual plants with short, concave stems and two (occasionally three) large torn leaves. Some of them live for more than a thousand years. [59] Gnetales
Zamiaceae (coontie family) Zamia , from a Latin plant name [60] [61] [62] 9 genera, [63] scattered widely in the tropics and subtropics [26] Unisexual trunked plants with leaf bases that periodically sprout new leaves. Seeds of Dioon edule are prepared and used in some tortillas. [64] Cycadales

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The taxonomy (classification) in this list follows the Gymnosperm section of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website, [1] and largely follows Plants of the World (2017). [2] Total counts of genera for each family come from Plants of the World Online (POWO). [3] (See the POWO license.) Extinct taxa are not included.
  2. ↑ Each family's formal name ends in the Latin suffix -aceae and is derived from the name of a genus that is or once was part of the family. [11]
  3. ↑ Some plants were named for naturalists (unless otherwise noted).

Citations

  1. 1 2 Stevens 2023, Gymnosperms.
  2. ↑ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017.
  3. ↑ POWO.
  4. ↑ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, pp. 71, 652.
  5. 1 2 Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, pp. 73–86.
  6. 1 2 Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 84.
  7. 1 2 Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 75.
  8. 1 2 Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, pp. 79–80.
  9. 1 2 Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 86.
  10. ↑ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, pp. 638–670.
  11. ↑ ICN, art. 18.
  12. ↑ Stearn 2002, p. 49.
  13. ↑ Coombes 2012, p. 48.
  14. ↑ IPNI, Araucariaceae, Type.
  15. ↑ POWO, Araucariaceae.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Stevens 2023, Cupressales.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 POWO, Trees of New Guinea.
  18. ↑ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 81.
  19. ↑ Stearn 2002, p. 109.
  20. ↑ Coombes 2012, p. 113.
  21. ↑ IPNI, Cupressaceae, Type.
  22. ↑ POWO, Cupressaceae.
  23. ↑ Stearn 2002, p. 110.
  24. ↑ Coombes 2012, p. 114.
  25. ↑ POWO, Cycadaceae.
  26. 1 2 Stevens 2023, Cycadales.
  27. ↑ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, pp. 73–74.
  28. ↑ Stearn 2002, p. 131.
  29. ↑ POWO, Ephedraceae.
  30. 1 2 3 Stevens 2023, Gnetales.
  31. ↑ POWO, Flora of Somalia.
  32. ↑ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 78.
  33. ↑ Stearn 2002, p. 151.
  34. ↑ Coombes 2012, p. 155.
  35. ↑ POWO, Ginkgoaceae.
  36. ↑ Stevens 2023, Ginkgoales.
  37. 1 2 Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 77.
  38. ↑ POWO, Gnetaceae.
  39. ↑ Stearn 2002, p. 241.
  40. ↑ Coombes 2012, p. 234.
  41. ↑ IPNI, Pinaceae, Type.
  42. ↑ POWO, Pinaceae.
  43. ↑ Stevens 2023, Pinales.
  44. ↑ Stearn 2002, p. 244.
  45. ↑ Coombes 2012, p. 239.
  46. ↑ IPNI, Podocarpaceae, Type.
  47. ↑ POWO, Podocarpaceae.
  48. ↑ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 82.
  49. ↑ Stearn 2002, p. 270.
  50. ↑ Coombes 2012, p. 269.
  51. ↑ POWO, Sciadopityaceae.
  52. ↑ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 83.
  53. ↑ Stearn 2002, p. 291.
  54. ↑ Coombes 2012, p. 287.
  55. ↑ IPNI, Taxaceae, Type.
  56. ↑ POWO, Taxaceae.
  57. ↑ Burkhardt 2018, p. W-14.
  58. ↑ POWO, Welwitschiaceae.
  59. ↑ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, p. 76.
  60. ↑ Stearn 2002, p. 313.
  61. ↑ Coombes 2012, p. 309.
  62. ↑ IPNI, Zamiaceae, Type.
  63. ↑ POWO, Zamiaceae.
  64. ↑ Christenhusz, Fay & Chase 2017, pp. 74–75.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinales</span> Order of seed plants, also known as conifers

The order Pinales in the division Pinophyta, class Pinopsida, comprises all the extant conifers. The distinguishing characteristic is the reproductive structure known as a cone produced by all Pinales. All of the extant conifers, such as Araucaria, cedar, celery-pine, cypress, fir, juniper, kauri, larch, pine, redwood, spruce, and yew, are included here. Some fossil conifers, however, belong to other distinct orders within the division Pinophyta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gymnosperm</span> Clade of non-flowering, naked-seeded vascular plants

The gymnosperms are a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The term gymnosperm comes from the composite word in Greek: γυμνόσπερμος, literally meaning 'naked seeds'. The name is based on the unenclosed condition of their seeds. The non-encased condition of their seeds contrasts with the seeds and ovules of flowering plants (angiosperms), which are enclosed within an ovary. Gymnosperm seeds develop either on the surface of scales or leaves, which are often modified to form cones, or on their own as in yew, Torreya, Ginkgo. Gymnosperm lifecycles involve alternation of generations. They have a dominant diploid sporophyte phase and a reduced haploid gametophyte phase which is dependent on the sporophytic phase. The term "gymnosperm" is often used in paleobotany to refer to all non-angiosperm seed plants. In that case, to specify the modern monophyletic group of gymnosperms, the term Acrogymnospermae is sometimes used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welwitschiaceae</span> Family of plants

Welwitschiaceae is a family of plants of the order Gnetales with one living species, Welwitschia mirabilis, found in southwestern Africa. Three fossil genera have been recovered from the Crato Formation – late Aptian strata located in the Araripe Basin in northeastern Brazil, with one of these also being known from the early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) Akrabou Formation of Morocco.

References

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