The
Pinaceae (
pine family) are trees or shrubs, including many of the well-known
conifers of commercial importance such as
cedars,
firs,
hemlocks,
larches,
pines and
spruces. The family is included in the order
Pinales, formerly known as
Coniferales. Pinaceae are supported as monophyletic by their protein-type sieve cell plastids, pattern of proembryogeny, and lack of bioflavonoids. They are the largest extant conifer family in species diversity, with between 220 and 250 species (depending on
taxonomic opinion) in 11 genera, and the second-largest (after
Cupressaceae) in geographical range, found in most of the
Northern Hemisphere, with the majority of the species in temperate climates, but ranging from subarctic to tropical. The family often forms the dominant component of boreal, coastal, and montane forests. One species,
Pinus merkusii, grows just south of the
equator in Southeast Asia. Major
centres of diversity are found in the mountains of southwest
China,
Mexico, central
Japan, and
California.