Taxodiaceae is a formerly recognized conifer family. It is today recognised as a paraphyletic grade of basal lineages within the Cupressaceae, with the exception of Sciadopitys verticillata, which has been reclassified into its own family, the Sciadopityaceae.
The Taxodiaceae contains the following living genera:
- Athrotaxis
- Cryptomeria
- Cunninghamia
- Glyptostrobus
- Metasequoia
- Sequoia
- Sequoiadendron
- Taiwania
- Taxodium
As proposed, genera of the former Taxodiaceae are grouped in the following subfamilies within the larger Cupressaceae:
- Athrotaxidoideae Quinn (Athrotaxis)
- Cunninghamioideae (Sieb. & Zucc.) Quinn (Cunninghamia)
- Sequoioideae (Luerss.) Quinn (Sequoia, Sequoiadendron, and Metasequoia)
- Taiwanioideae (Hayata) Quinn (Taiwania)
- Taxodioideae Endl. ex K. Koch (Taxodium, Glyptostrobus, and Cryptomeria)[http://www.conifers.org/cu/index.htm]
Evolution
thumb|right|153px|Fossil leave of Taxodium dubium, 8 Mio. years old, [[Hambach open pit mine|Hambach lignite open cast mine, Germany]]
In earth's history Taxodiaceae were widespread. They are known since the Jurassic and can be found as fossil from Tertiary times.
Systematics
The Taxodiaceae were circumscribed as one of seven conifer families by Robert Pilger in 1926.
In 1976, James Eckenwalder proposed that the Cupressaceae be merged with the Taxodiaceae, a circumscription which has since become consensus.
Prior to Eckenwalder's merger of the Taxodiaceae and the Cupressaceae, the generally accepted scheme was Pilger's, which split the then-pinaceae into seven families: the Taxaceae, Podocarpaceae, Araucariaceae, Cephalotaxaceae, Pinaceae sensu strictu, Taxodiaceae, and Cupressaceae., or had otherwise grouped the conifers in unusual ways, but these studies were largely ignored due to questionable methodologies and insufficient evidence
See also
- Taxodioideae
- Cupressaceae
External links
- Gymnosperm Database - Cupressaceae
- Gymnosperm Database - Sciadopityaceae