124 CONIFERALES (RECENT) [CH. 



used by Masters, has been revived by Saxton 1 to give expression 

 to the distinctive characters of Callitris, Widdringtonia, and 

 Actinostrobus . Saxton's work on Tetraclinis leads him to assign 



o 



it to the Cupressineae. Pilger 2 makes Phyllocladus the sole genus 

 of Phyllocladoideae, while Miss Robertson 3 includes it in the 

 Podocarpeae though recognising leanings towards the Taxineae. 

 It should be stated that the changes in classification suggested 

 are based mainly on characters of the gametophyte though 

 anatomical and vegetative features have not been entirely 

 neglected 4 . 



I. ARAUCARINEAE. Agathis, Araucaria. 



II. CUPRESSINEAE. Cupressus, Chamaecyparis , Libo- 

 cedrus, Thuya, Juniperus, Fitzroya, Diselma, Thujopsis, Taxodium, 

 Glyptostrobus, Cryptomeria, Cunningham da, Taiwania, Fokienia, 

 Athrotaxis, Tetraclinis. 



III. CALLITRINEAE. Callitris, Actinostrobus, Widdring- 

 tonia. 



IV. SEQUOIINEAE. Sequoia. 



V. SCIADOPITINEAE. Sciadopitys. 



VI. ABIETINEAE. Pinus, Cedrus, Larix, Pseudolarix, 

 Picea, Tsuga, Abies, Pseudotsuga, Keteleeria. 



VII. PODOCARPINEAE. Podocarpus, Dacrydium, Micro- 

 cachrys, Acmopyle, Pherosphaera , Saxegothaea. 



VIII. PHYLLOCLADINEAE. Phyllocladus. 



IX. TAXINEAE. Taxus, Torreya, Cephalotaxus. 

 The order of the families is not intended to indicate their 

 natural sequence in an evolutionary series, though the Arau- 

 carineae are considered to be the most primitive. As certain 

 authors have suggested, Saxegothaea is probably closely allied to 

 Araucaria, but this is not indicated in the order adopted. 



Geographical Distribution. 



The distribution of the Conifers 5 , though too wide a subject 

 for more than a brief notice, is of great interest from a palaeonto- 

 logical point of view. The ABIETINEAE, comparable in their 

 present dominant role with the Polypodiaceae among the Ferns, 



1 Saxton (10 2 ); (13 2 ). 2 Pilger (03). 3 Robertson (06). 



4 For other views on classification, see Vierhapper (10). 



5 Drude(90); Engler(89); Graner(94); Hildebrand (61); Vierhapper (10). 



