Taxodiaceae Saporta
Medium-sized to huge, monoecious trees, very rarely shrubs, deciduous or evergreen, resinous, with thick, often soft, fibrous bark. Lvs usually alternate and spirally arranged, less commonly opposite, usually linear, lanceolate, or cultrate, sometimes scale-like. Short shoots usually not evident. ♂ strobili (cones) terminal, of numerous spirally arranged stamens (microsporophylls), each stamen with 2-9 anthers (microsporangia). Pollen lacking bladders. ♀ cones terminal; bract and ovuliferous scales (megasporophylls) ± fused and indistinguishable, spirally arranged, numerous, each bearing 2-12, erect or inverted ovules on the upper surface. Mature cones ± globose, woody, dehiscent, ripening in second year. Seed often with narrow wing; cotyledons 2-9.
Key
10 genera, c. 16 spp., E. Asia, N. America, Tasmania.
A number of extinct taxa of this ancient family have been described. All the extant genera are cultivated in N.Z., but apart from the 2 genera described below, only 1 other evergreen (mentioned under Sequoia) and 2 of the 3 deciduous genera are common. Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu et W. C. Cheng has been widely planted since its introduction in about 1950 and Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich. is commonly planted by lakes and rivers. These deciduous trees are similar in appearance, but the former has opposite lvs and branchlets and the latter, alternate ones.
