Biodiversity of Pinophyta (conifers) in Mexico

Conifers (Pinophyta) are woody trees or shrubs with simple leaves and reproductive structures arranged in simple pollen cones and (except in Taxaceae) compound seed cones. They are dominant components of several vegetation types. In Mexico conifers grow from sea level to above 4 000 m, with the greatest diversity concentrated in montane forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental. Four families have natural distributions in the country: Pinaceae (4 genera and 61 species), Cupressaceae (4 genera and 29 species), Podocarpaceae (1 genus and 3 species), and Taxaceae (1 species). Of the 94 Mexican conifer species, 43 are endemic to the country, 18 with ranges restricted to 3 or fewer states.