Coniferous trees include almost all of their species, the seeds of which ripen in cones. Contrary to popular belief, evergreen conifers grow not only in our latitudes, but also in tropical countries.
By the area of ββtheir distribution, they can safely argue even with the forests of South America. In total there are about 800 species, many of which still remember dinosaurs. Most of the modern conifers are trees, but there are many shrubby forms.
In taiga biotopes, it is conifers (as the most hardy) that make up most of the local flora.
As we have said, almost all evergreen conifers form cones, although junipers reproduce with the help of berries. They got their name due to the fact that they do not have a seasonal change of deciduous cover: the needles are gradually updated year-round throughout the entire life cycle of the tree.
It is this circumstance, as well as the fact of the presence of shrubby forms, that made them extremely popular among landscape designers.
It was from coniferous trees that many
hedges of palaces and castles were created, characterized by their stunning appearance. In addition, all their species emit a lot of volatile, effectively purifying the air. Unfortunately, evergreen conifers cannot be used for landscaping cities, because they cannot tolerate smog.
Along with ferns, these plants belong to the category of the oldest. So, coal seams in many respects consist precisely of petrified wood of coniferous trees.
Now let's look at some particularly outstanding varieties of them.
Evergreen sequoia can reach a height of 115.2 meters (like a house of 45 floors) and grow more than one millennium. But all evergreen conifers look just βweedsβ in front of a giant Sequoiadendron. It is estimated that some of the currently growing specimens of this tree are older than 3,000 years old! But even this is not a record.
Even these achievements fade if you look at the Long-lasting Pines (Pinus longaeva), whose age is close to five THOUSAND years! It is assumed that these are the oldest living organisms on our planet.
The thickest coniferous tree is considered Mexican Taxodium, whose diameter is 11.42 meters.
Interestingly, and among them there are dwarfs? Yes, and some more! So, the southern
evergreen coniferous
tree Dacridium loose-leaf grows in New Zealand. His entire growth does not exceed five centimeters.
Conifers are the most common trees in the world. Despite the small species diversity, they play an extremely important role in the ecology of the planet. In addition, they are used to harvest most of the commercial wood, which is actively used in almost all areas of human life. Even their resin, being petrified, turns into a jewel: it is enough to recall only the Amber Room.
Almost any coniferous evergreen pine family tree can be fully used by humans: it will go not only to the production of wood, but also to the production of medicines.