Taxales
Encyclopedia
The plant
order Taxales was until recently treated as a distinct order in the division Pinophyta
, class Pinopsida, and included only those species in the family Taxaceae
, known commonly as yews. Under this interpretation, all other conifers were classified separately in the order Pinales
. Recent genetic and micromorphological studies have however shown that the Taxaceae are closely related to the other conifers, particularly so to the family Cephalotaxaceae
. The order Taxales is therefore no longer recognised as distinct, and the family Taxaceae
is now included in the order Pinales. See Pinophyta
for more details.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
order Taxales was until recently treated as a distinct order in the division Pinophyta
Pinophyta
The conifers, division Pinophyta, also known as division Coniferophyta or Coniferae, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. Pinophytes are gymnosperms. They are cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue; all extant conifers are woody plants, the great majority being...
, class Pinopsida, and included only those species in the family Taxaceae
Taxaceae
The family Taxaceae, commonly called the yew family, includes three genera and about 7 to 12 species of coniferous plants, or in other interpretations , six genera and about 30 species....
, known commonly as yews. Under this interpretation, all other conifers were classified separately in the order Pinales
Pinales
The Order Pinales in the Division Pinophyta, Class Pinopsida comprises all the extant conifers. This order was formerly known as the Coniferales....
. Recent genetic and micromorphological studies have however shown that the Taxaceae are closely related to the other conifers, particularly so to the family Cephalotaxaceae
Cephalotaxaceae
The family Cephalotaxaceae is a small grouping of conifers, with three genera and about 20 species, closely allied to the Taxaceae, and included in that family by some botanists. They are restricted to east Asia, except for two species of Torreya found in the southwest and southeast of the USA;...
. The order Taxales is therefore no longer recognised as distinct, and the family Taxaceae
Taxaceae
The family Taxaceae, commonly called the yew family, includes three genera and about 7 to 12 species of coniferous plants, or in other interpretations , six genera and about 30 species....
is now included in the order Pinales. See Pinophyta
Pinophyta
The conifers, division Pinophyta, also known as division Coniferophyta or Coniferae, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. Pinophytes are gymnosperms. They are cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue; all extant conifers are woody plants, the great majority being...
for more details.