PINACEAE Sprengel ex F. Rudolphi
Family comprising 11 genera and about 250 species of trees (rarely shrubs) mainly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Species with great forestry value for their resistance to extreme weather conditions, enduring freezing temperatures frequently. Its forests usually mark the end of the forest cover (altitudinally and latitudinally). Some species, such as in the genera Abies and Cedrus, are very important in preventing erosion and landslides in high mountains where they occur.
Farjon, A. 1990. Pinaceae. Drawings and Descriptions of the Genera. Koeltz Scientific Books. 330 pp.
Key to genera
1 Leaves solitary, linear, rigid Abies
1 Leaves grouped in bundles of 2 or more, linear, generally flexible, forming brachyblasts. 2
2 Strobili conical, with thick, strongly woody scales.The species of this region with leaves in fascicles of 2 Pinus
2 Strobili obovate, with thin scales, papyraceous. Leaves grouped forming rosettes of up to 30 Cedrus
Updated by: G. Benítez, J. Molero Mesa & J. Charco.