| Laricoideae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Subalpine larch (Larix lyallii) in Wenatchee National Forest, Washington, U.S. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Subfamily: | Laricoideae (Rendle) Pilg. & Melch. (1954) |
| Type genus | |
| Larix | |
| Genera | |
The Laricoideae are a subfamily of the Pinaceae, a Pinophyta division family. They take their name from the genus Larix (larches), which contains inside most of the species of the group and is one of only two deciduous genera of the pines complex (together with Pseudolarix, which however belongs to a different subfamily, the Abietoideae). Ecologically important trees, the Laricoideae form pure or mixed forest associations often dominant in the ecosystems in which they are present, thanks also to their biological adaptations to natural disturbances, to reproductive strategies put in place and high average longevity of the individuals. Currently are assigned to this subfamily three genera (Larix, Pseudotsuga and Cathaya) and its members can be found only in Northern Hemisphere.[1] The various species live for the most part in temperate or cold climates and are the more northerly conifers; some constitute an important source of timber and non-timber forest products.