Taxodiaceae is a formerly recognized

conifer Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All ext ...

ous plant family comprising the following ten genera: *''

Athrotaxis ''Athrotaxis'' is a genus of two to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The genus is endemic to western Tasmania, where they grow in high altitude temperate rainforests.Farjon, A. (200 ...

'' *''

Cryptomeria ''Cryptomeria'' (literally "hidden parts") is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae, formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae. It includes only one species, ''Cryptomeria japonica'' ( syn. ''Cupressus japonica'' ...

'' *''

Cunninghamia ''Cunninghamia'' is a genus of one or two living species of evergreen coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae. They are native to China, northern Vietnam and Laos, and perhaps also Cambodia. They may reach in height. In vernacular ...

'' *†'' Cunninghamites'' *''

Glyptostrobus ''Glyptostrobus'' is a small genus of conifers in the family Cupressaceae (formerly in the family Taxodiaceae). The sole living species, '' Glyptostrobus pensilis'', is native to subtropical southeastern China, from Fujian west to southeast Yu ...

'' *''

Metasequoia ''Metasequoia'', or dawn redwoods, is a genus of fast-growing deciduous trees, one of three species of conifers known as redwoods. The living species ''Metasequoia glyptostroboides'' is native to Lichuan county in Hubei province, China. Althou ...

'' *'' Sciadopitys'' *'' Sequoia'' *''

Sequoiadendron ''Sequoiadendron'' is a genus of evergreen trees, with two species, only one of which survives to the present: * ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'', extant, commonly known as wellingtonia, giant redwood and giant sequoia, growing naturally in the Sierr ...

'' *†'' Sequoioxylon'' *''

Taiwania ''Taiwania'', with the single living species ''Taiwania cryptomerioides'', is a large coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae. Etymology ''Taiwania'' means 'from Taiwan', while ''Cryptomerioides'' means 'resembling ''Cryptomeria''.G ...

'' *'' Taxodium'' However, research has shown that the Taxodiaceae genera, with the exception of ''Sciadopitys'', are phylogenetically part of the family

Cupressaceae Cupressaceae is a conifer family, the cypress family, with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27–30 genera (17 monotypic), which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130–140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdioeci ...

. There are no consistent characters by which they can be separated, and genetic evidence demonstrates close relationships. The one exception, the genus ''Sciadopitys'', is genetically very distinct from all other conifers, and now treated in a family of its own,

Sciadopityaceae ''Sciadopitys verticillata'', the or Japanese umbrella-pine, is a unique conifer endemic to Japan. It is the sole member of the family Sciadopityaceae and genus ''Sciadopitys'', a living fossil with no close relatives. The oldest fossils of ...

. As proposed, genera of the former Taxodiaceae are grouped in the following subfamilies within the larger Cupressaceae: *

Athrotaxidoideae ''Athrotaxis'' is a genus of two to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The genus is endemic to western Tasmania, where they grow in high altitude temperate rainforests.Farjon, A. (200 ...

Quinn (''Athrotaxis'') * Cunninghamioideae (Sieb. & Zucc.) Quinn (''Cunninghamia'') *

Sequoioideae Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Cupressaceae. It includes the largest and tallest trees in the world. Description The three redwood subfamily genera are '' Sequoia'' from coasta ...

(Luerss.) Quinn (''Sequoia'', ''Sequoiadendron,'' and ''Metasequoia'') * Taiwanioideae (Hayata) Quinn (''Taiwania'') *

Taxodioideae Taxodioideae is a subfamily in Cupressaceae Cupressaceae is a conifer family, the cypress family, with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27–30 genera (17 monotypic), which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130–140 sp ...

Endl. ex K. Koch (''Taxodium'', ''Glyptostrobus'', and ''Cryptomeria'

Evolution

In earth's history Taxodiaceae were widespread. They are known since the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

and can be found as

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

from

Tertiary Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...

times.

External links

Gymnosperm Database - Cupressaceae

{{Taxonbar, from=Q632844 Cupressaceae Pinales families Historically recognized plant families

Evolution

See also

External links