Coniferophyta

n.

1.

a class of cone-bearing gymnosperms dating from the Carboniferous; most are substantial trees; it includes the classes Pinopsida (subdivision Pinophytina) and Ginkgopsida (subdivision Ginkgophytina) and Taxopsida (subdivision Taxophytina) which in turn include the surviving orders Coniferales and Taxales (yews) and sometimes Ginkgoales as well as extinct orders such as Cordaitales (of the Carboniferous and Permian) and Volztiales (of the Permian-Jurassic).

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Coniferophyta - cone-bearing gymnosperms dating from the Carboniferous period; most are substantial trees; includes the classes Pinopsida (subdivision Pinophytina) and Ginkgopsida (subdivision Ginkgophytina) and Taxopsida (subdivision Taxophytina) which in turn include the surviving orders Coniferales and Taxales (yews) and sometimes Ginkgoales as well as extinct orders such as Cordaitales (of the Carboniferous and Permian) class Coniferopsida, Coniferophytina, Coniferopsida, subdivision Coniferophytina class - (biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more orders class Gymnospermae, division Gymnospermophyta, Gymnospermae, Gymnospermophyta - plants having naked seeds not enclosed in an ovary; in some systems considered a class (Gymnospermae) and in others a division (Gymnospermophyta); comprises three subdivisions (or classes): Cycadophytina (class Cycadopsida) and Gnetophytina (class Gnetopsida) and Coniferophytina (class Coniferopsida); in some classifications the Coniferophytina are divided into three groups: Pinophytina (class Pinopsida) and Ginkgophytina (class Ginkgopsida) and Taxophytina (class Taxopsida) Cordaitales, order Cordaitales - extinct plants having tall arborescent trunks comparable to or more advanced than cycads; known from the Pennsylvanian period; probably extinct since the Mesozoic era class Pinopsida, Pinophytina, Pinopsida, subdivision Pinophytina - most conifers: in some systems classified as a class (Pinopsida) and in others as a subdivision (Pinophytina); used in some classifications for one of five subdivisions of Gymnospermophyta Coniferales, order Coniferales - profusely branching and chiefly evergreen trees and some shrubs having narrow or needlelike leaves class Taxopsida, subdivision Taxophytina, Taxophytina, Taxopsida - yews: in some systems classified as a class (Taxopsida) and in others as a subdivision (Taxophytina) used in some classifications for one of five subdivisions of Gymnospermophyta order Taxales, Taxales - coextensive with the family Taxaceae: yews