The classification of vascular plants has posed problems for botanists because of the difficulty of establishing definitive boundaries between various groups. Criteria used for establishing taxonomic systems include morphological and anatomical characteristics as well as fossil evidence indicating evolutionary relationships. Editors of this volume have chosen to use the system of Cronquist (1971), which separates seed-bearing plants into the divisions Pinophyta (gymnosperms) and Magnoliophyta (angiosperms) (q.v.).
The pinophyta compose an important part of the earth's terrestrial vegetation, although the total number of genera and species is far fewer than the Magnoliophyta. The Pinophyta are also adapted to a smaller range of environmental conditions and have more limited geographic distribution. Members display considerable diversity of form, ranging from vines, creepers, and shrubs to gigantic trees. All are woody perennials, sometimes having life spans as much as several thousand...
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Reference
Cronquist, A., 1971. Introductory Botany. New York: Harper and Row, 885p.
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© 1982 Hutchinson Ross Publishing Company
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Wheeler, L.C., Mustoe, G. (1982). Pinophyta . In: Beaches and Coastal Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30843-1_330
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30843-1_330
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