Theplant orderTaxales was until recently treated as a distinct order in the divisionPinophyta, class Pinopsida, and included only those species in the familyTaxaceae, known commonly as yews. Under this interpretation, all otherconifers were classified separately in the orderPinales. Recent genetic andmicromorphological studies, however, have shown the Taxaceae are closely related to the other conifers, particularly so to the familyCephalotaxaceae. The order Taxales is therefore no longer recognised as distinct, and the familyTaxaceae is now included in the orderCupressales.[1] SeePinophyta for more details.
