Swamp Cypress Family (Taxodiaceae) - Characteristics, Members Of The Taxodiaceae
The swamp cypress family is more formally called the Taxodiaceae. This is a family of coniferous trees within the Gymnosperms, that is, plants which produce naked seeds (not in a fruit) borne on scales. These scales are usually arranged to form a cone.
Within the Taxodiaceae some species are evergreen, and some deciduous. There are nine genera which contain 16 species. These can be found in temperate and subtropical regions, in both the Old and New Worlds. Only one genus is represented in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of these are fast growing trees which can achieve a large size and an impressive age. Some members of this group have been known to be 3,000 years old.
Additional Topics
All of the trees in this family produce resin when their branches are damaged. They all have one main trunk with a fibrous bark, usually of a reddish color. As the tree grows older the basal branches are lost, leaving a clear trunk. The leaves are usually dark green, needle like structures. All of the Taxodiaceae are wind pollinated, with male and female reproductive structures on the same individ…
Athrotaxis comprises three species found only on the islands of Taiwan in east Asia. It is possible that one species is a hybrid between the other two, due to its intermediate characteristics. These are moderately tall, pine-like trees. Cunninghamia is a tall tree of great commercial importance in its native China and Taiwan. Two, rather similar species are known. Another genus, with two or three …
Citing this material
Please include a link to this page if you have found this material useful for research or writing a related article. Content on this website is from high-quality, licensed material originally published in print form. You can always be sure you're reading unbiased, factual, and accurate information.
Highlight the text below, right-click, and select “copy”. Paste the link into your website, email, or any other HTML document.
User Comments Add a comment…