QUESTION: Something that I've wondered about for a long time, what qualifies a conifer for being included in the pine family (pinacea)? I believe that in addition to "true pines", Douglas firs, true firs, spruces, larches, true cedars and hemlocks are all full fledged pine family members while redwoods, giant Sequoias, Thujas, cypresses and junipers are not. Is this right? Why aren't redwoods along with many other genera not in the pine family? I used to believe that to be included in the pine family, trees have to have volatile resins like turpentine. Is that it or are there other specifications that determine whether or not a coniferous genera is not included in the pine family? Regards, Fred M. Cain, Topeka, IN
Yes, that's right; the following 11 genera are currently included in Pinaceae: (subfamily Pinoideae) Pinus - pines (subfamily Piceoideae) Picea - spruces (subfamily Laricoideae) Cathaya Pseudotsuga - douglas-firs Larix - larches (subfamily Abietoideae) Cedrus - cedars Abies - firs Pseudolarix - golden-larch Keteleeria Nothotsuga Tsuga - hemlocks What makes Pinaceae is determined by the structure of the cones, and the genetics of their DNA. The cypress family (cypresses, redwoods, junipers, etc.) is less closely related than you might think - they have had separate evolutionary history from before the appearance of the dinosaurs.
