Araucariaceae

Abstract

In spite of generalized impressions sometimes advanced about the decline and decrease of the Gymnosperms through the enormous development of the Angiosperms in the Cretaceous and their rapidly accelerated development in the Tertiary, it must be realized that this impression is confusing as far as Coniferales are concerned. It is of course a truism that the Gymnosperms are completely outnumbered in genera and species by the Angiosperms, the latter occupying terrain earlier beset by Gymnosperms. It must be realized, however, that possibly the almost entirely woody Gymnosperms did never have the potential for producing such immense numbers of genera and species as now found among the Angiosperms. This statement is also valid for the Coniferales.