Pinophyta

Pinophyta Temporal range: Carboniferous – Recent PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Conifer forests, though comprising few species, cover vast areas, as in this forest in the Cascade Range of western North America.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Spermatophyta
(unranked):	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Orders and families
Cordaitales † Pinales   Pinaceae—Pine family   Araucariaceae—Araucaria family   Podocarpaceae—Yellow-wood family   Sciadopityaceae—Umbrella-pine family   Cupressaceae—Cypress family   Cephalotaxaceae—Plum-yew family   Taxaceae—Yew family Vojnovskyales † Voltziales †
Synonyms
Coniferophyta Coniferae

Cordaitales †
Pinales
  Pinaceae—Pine family
  Araucariaceae—Araucaria family
  Podocarpaceae—Yellow-wood family
  Sciadopityaceae—Umbrella-pine family
  Cupressaceae—Cypress family
  Cephalotaxaceae—Plum-yew family
  Taxaceae—Yew family
Vojnovskyales †
Voltziales †

The conifers, division Pinophyta, also known as division Coniferophyta or Coniferae, are one of 12 extant division-level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae (Viridiplantae) and 10 within the extant land plants. Pinophyta contains a single class, Pinopsida. Pinophytes are gymnosperms, cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue. All extant conifers are woody plants with secondary growth. The great majority are trees, though a few are shrubs. Examples include cedars, Douglas firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews. As of 1998, the division was estimated to contain eight families, 68 genera, and 629 living species.