What is a conifer?

The word conifer is the common name used for a group of plants that possess seed-bearing cones. Many conifers produce both male and female cones on a single tree (they are monoecious) [1]. Pollination in conifers is always dependent on wind currents to blow the abundant yellow pollen from the male cones to the female cones.

Plants that do not produce a flower for the seeds, such as conifers, are called gymnosperms (meaning "naked seed") [2]. There are over 900 known gymnosperms [1], of which over 550 are conifers [2]. Most are woody plants, either shrubs or trees - very rarely are they vines [2].

Angiosperms ("enclosed seed") - flowering plants - are the dominant form of plant life. There are about 230,000 known angiosperms [2].

Where do conifers grow?

Conifers have adapted to most climates and are widely distributed. Conifers grow in Norway, north of the Arctic Circle (Scotch pine and Norway spruce), down to the Equator in Sumatra (Pinus merkusii) [1].

While no pines are native to the southern hemisphere [1], many conifers are.

More Online Information

For more information about conifers in Australia, including which conifers are native to Australia, follow this link to the Australian National Botanic Gardens website [3].

Next >> What is a Pine?

Glossary

dioecious: Separate trees of the same species have the male or female reproductive organ. The trees are sexually dictinct - either male or female.

monoecious: Having unisexual reproductive organs or flowers, with the organs or flowers of both sexes borne on a single plant - as in corn and pines.

Citations

[1] Earle C.J. (Editor) (1999, March). Gymnosperm Database: Taxon Descriptions ["Pinaceae"] [WWW online database] URL www.conifers.org/

[2] Microsoft Corporation (2000). Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia ["Conifer"] [WWW document]. URL http://encarta.msn.com

[3] Australian National Botanic Gardens (undated). Australian Conifers [WWW Document] URL http://www.anbg.gov.au/conifers/introduction.html (visited January, 2001).

Copyright D. L. Christiansen [Last updated February 2001] Images: respective copyright owners noted/cited.

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