Knowra Cupressaceae Cupressaceae Cupressaceae is a family of conifers that includes cypresses, junipers, redwoods, and arborvitae. Its members bear scale-like or needle-like leaves and reproduce through seed cones.
Conifer : A cone-bearing gymnosperm, usually an evergreen tree or shrub with needle-like or scale-like leaves. Cupressaceae is one of the major living conifer families.
Wind pollination : The transfer of pollen between plants by air currents. Cupressaceae commonly release abundant pollen that reaches ovules through wind transport.
Coast redwood : Sequoia sempervirens, an evergreen conifer native to the Pacific coast of North America. This Cupressaceae member includes the tallest known living trees.
Cedarwood oil : An aromatic essential oil obtained from the wood of several conifer species. Oils from Cupressaceae genera such as Juniperus and Thuja are used in fragrance and other products.
Dawn redwood : Metasequoia glyptostroboides, a deciduous conifer native to a small region of China. Its limited wild range makes habitat protection central to its long-term survival.
Gymnosperm : A seed-producing plant whose seeds are not enclosed within an ovary. Cupressaceae seeds develop without the enclosing fruit characteristic of flowering plants.
Seed dispersal : The movement of seeds away from the plant that produced them. Cupressaceae seeds spread by wind, water, or animals, depending on the cone.
Giant sequoia : Sequoiadendron giganteum, a massive conifer native to California's Sierra Nevada. Its exceptional trunk volume makes it a striking example of Cupressaceae diversity.
Juniper berry : The fleshy seed cone of a juniper, used as a spice and to flavor gin. Its culinary use makes the juniper cone one of the family's familiar products.
Wollemi pine : Wollemia nobilis, a rare Australian conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is often compared with Cupressaceae redwoods, but belongs to a different conifer family.
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