write note on specific characters of coniferales order botany Bsc 1year
Answers
Meaning of Coniferales:
Coniferales, “the dominant forest-makers of the world’, are represented by about 54 living genera and over 500 species (Li, 1952). According to Foster and Gifford (1958) “the most dominant and conspicuous gymnosperms in the floras of the modern world belong to the order Coniferales”. They occur widely in Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Many of the Coniferales have now become extinct. Exceptional diversity of conifers is represented in Western North America and Eastern and Central China. A rich coniferous flora is also available now in Australia and New Zealand. The Indian coniferous flora of Himalayas is represented by the genera such as Pinus, Abies, Picea, Cedrus, Tsuga, Cupressus, Juniperus, Araucaria and Podocarpus.
To describe, in brief, Coniferales include extinct forms and living gymnosperms such as pine, spruce, cedar, yew, larch, etc. These are characteristic of temperate regions, majority of which are tall, evergreen forest trees.
They are usually monoecious with distinct male and female cones. They bear microsporophyll’s directly on the cone exis. Their female cones have ovules borne on ovuliferous scales in the axils of bracts arising from the axis of cone.
Coniferales represents an economically important group of gymnosperms. Its members are the source of valuable timber and pulp in the form of pines (Pinus), larch (Larix), firs (Abies), spruce (Picea), hemlock – spruce (Tsuga canadensis), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga douglasii), red wood (Sequoia), deodar (Cedrus), white cedar (Libocedrus), red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), etc.
Besides wood, conifers are also the source of several other articles such as oils, resins, terpentine, Canada-balsam, etc.
Concept: Characteristics of coniferales.
Answer:
Coniferales are gymnosperms and most of them are already extinct.
Characters:
• Coniferales are generally evergreen and xerophytic.
• The leaves of the plant are of two types- foliage leaves and scaly leaves.
• Pollination in these plants occurs through air.
• Coniferales may be monoecious or dioecious.
• These plants are great source of things like oils, resins, terpentine, wood etc.
Hence, coniferales include pine, spruce, cedar etc.
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