Plants of Christmas : Christmas Trees

Type of trees commonly used as Christmas Tree in Europe and America continent :

Firs : Douglas Fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ), Silver Fir ( Abies alba ) , Balsam Fir ( Abies balsamea ), Fraser Fir ( Abies fraseri ) , Grand Fir ( Abies grandis ) , Guatemalan fir ( Abies guatemalensis ) , Red Fir ( Abies magnifica ) , Nordmann Fir ( Abies nordmanniana ) , Noble Fir ( Abies procera )

Spruces : Norway Spruce ( Picea abies ), Serbian Spruce ( Picea omorika )

Pines : Scots Pine ( Pinus sylvestris ), Stone Pine ( Pinus pinea ) , Swiss Pine ( Pinus cembra ) , Colorado Pine ( Pinus edulis ) , Jeffery Pine ( Pinus jeffreyi )

Others : Norfolk Island Pine ( Araucaria heterophylla )

Several other species are used to a lesser extent. In warmer climates such as Malaysia, some species with conical shape and needle –liked leaves can be use as Christmas Tree :

Cupressaceae : Thuja, Juniperus chinensis

Pinaceae : Pinus caribaea
Araucariaceae : Araucaria excelsa
Casuarinaceae : Casuarina, Allocasuarina

The family Pinaceae ( pine family ) , is in the order Pinales and includes many of the wellknown conifers of commercial importance such as cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces. The distinguishing characteristic is the reproductive structure known as a cone produced by all Pinales.

Pinaceae is the largest family in the Pinales order, consists of some 220-250 species. Other family in Pinales order includes Araucariaceae ( 41 species ), Podocarpaceae ( 170 – 200 species ), Sciadopityaceae ( 1 specie ), Cupressaceae ( 130 – 140 species ), Cephalotaxaceae ( 20 species ), Taxaceae ( 12 – 30 species ) and Phyllocladaceae ( 5 species ).

There are 11 genera（属） in pine family（科）, divided into 4 subfamilies（亚科 ）, base on cone, seed and leaf morphology :

Subfamily : Pinoideae 松

Genus : Pinus 松 ( pines )

Subfamily : Piceoideae 云杉
Genus : Picea 云杉 ( spruces )

Subfamily : Laricoideae 落叶松
Genus : Cathaya银杉
Genus : Larix落叶银杉 ( larches )

Genus : Pseudotsuga黄杉 ( douglas-fir )

Subfamily : Abietoideae 冷杉

Genus : Pseudolarix冷杉 ( golder larch )
Genus : Abies 雪杉 ( firs )
Genus : Cedrus金钱杉 ( cedars )
Genus : Keteleeria油杉
Genus : Nothotsuga长苞铁杉
Genus : Tsuga铁杉 ( hemlock )