23 - Taxodiaceae
from Division 4 - Pinophyta
Summary
Monoecious, resinous trees or shrubs, usually evergreen, sometimes deciduous. Leaves usually spirally arranged, sometimes slightly 2- to 5-ranked, linear, linear-oblong or subulate. Male strobili rather small, catkin-like, usually in clustered groups; microsporophylls with 2–9 microsporangia; pollen grains wingless and lacking air-bladders. Cones mainly more or less globose or ovoid, usually maturing in 1 year, relatively small; scales several to many, spirally arranged, woody, more or less fused with the bracts, each bearing 2 or more inverted ovules. Seeds often with a narrow even wing on each side. Cotyledons 2–15.
Contains about 16 species in 9 genera, 7 of which are monotypic. Mainly in China and Japan, extending to Taiwan and north-east Burma; also in the eastern U.S.A. and Mexico, with an isolated genus in western Tasmania. Many of the species are planted elsewhere for ornament and occasionally timber.
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- Information
- Flora of Great Britain and Ireland , pp. 95 - 99Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2018