CHAPTER VTI 

 CONIFERALES (TAXACEAE) 



The Taxaceae were defined superficially (p. 220) as conifers in 

 which usually distinct ovulate strobili (in the ordinary sense) are not 

 formed, the ovules often being exposed freely, and in-which the seeds 

 develop a partially fleshy testa or an aril. These very general charac- 

 ters are accompanied by such peculiarities in the morphology that the 

 family is presented separately from the Pinaceae. The Taxaceae 

 include 11 genera and approximately 105 species, two tribes being 

 recognized. 



The Podocarpineae (podocarps) are superficially recognized by 

 their winged pollen grains, and are characteristic of the southern 

 hemisphere. They include 6 genera and approximately 86 species, 

 as follows: Podocarpiis (60 species, throughout the southern hemi- 

 sphere: West Indies and South America, tropical and southern Africa, 

 Australasia to Japan), Dacrydium (16 species, Australasia to the East 

 Indies), Microcachrys (i species, in Tasmania), Pherosphaera (2 

 species, in Australia and Tasmania), Saxegothaea (i species, in the 

 Andes of ChiH), and Phyllodadus (6 species, in New Zealand, Tas- 

 mania, and the East Indies). The dominant genus is Podocarpus, 

 which holds the same conspicuous place among the conifers of the 

 southern hemisphere that Pimis holds among the northern conifers. 

 This great genus is also the only one of the podocarps represented 

 in the northern hemisphere, extending into Japan from the East 

 Indies (fig. 372). Phyllodadus is often regarded as representing a 

 third tribe, intermediate between the other two, but its morphological 

 characters clearly associate it with Podocarpineae (145, 174)- 



The Taxineae (taxads) have wingless pollen grains, and are found 

 chiefly in the northern hemisphere. They include 5 genera and 

 approximately 19 species, as follows: Taxus (7 species, throughout 

 the temperate and subtropical regions of the northern hemisphere; 

 also in tropical Asia and the mountains of Mexico), Torreya (4 

 species, in the United States, Japan, and China), Cephalotaxus 

 (6 species, in eastern Asia), Acmopyle (i species, in New Caledonia), 



i^3 



