Pinaceae

The speciesof the Pinaceaefamily aretrees, more rarelyshrubsthe better part of which are evergreenplants. They are spread in the temperate climate latitudes in the Northern hemisphere (form the subarctic to the equatorial regions) or high up in the mountains, and form the polar and top tree line.Including 220-250 speciesdivided in 11 genera- the Pinaceaeare the most diverse family of coniferous plants and the second in terms of their geographical distribution after theCupressaceae family.
Theirleaves are needle-shaped arranged singly, in clusters of several or many leaves. Their generative organs are unisexual and monoecious. The male tassels form singly in the bosoms of the leaves or are gathered in bunches on top of the truncated branches. The female are cones with spirally arranged integuments. The seedsare most often wings that facilitate their dispersal by the wind.