Conifer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Leaves and bud of a conifer,
Pseudotsuga or Douglas-fir ()
A
conifer is a type of
tree or
shrub characterised by needle-like leaves and bearing reproductive structures called cones. Conifers were once classified as an order (
Order Coniferales) within the
Class Gymnospermae. In the modern classification scheme (see
Kingdom Plantae), the order has been raised to that of a phylum or division. The rules of
taxonomic nomenclature require that taxa bear the name of the type genus (in this case
Pinus). Thus, the correct name becomes
Division Pinophyta, though
conifer remains a widely used common name for
plants in this division.
Most conifers are evergreen, although some, like larches, Bald cypress and Dawn redwood are deciduous. Typical conifers include the cypresses, pines, cedars, spruces, Douglas-firs, firs and yews. Conifers are commonly (and unscientifically) called evergreens, but many non-coniferous plants such as holly and citrus are evergreen as well. Conifers, widely used for wood products, are also called, as a group, softwoods.