Economic importance of

Gymnosperms
Cycadales
 Young succulent leaves cooked and eaten in India,Malay,
Philippines, and Indonesia eg., C. circinalis, C.
pectinata,C.rumphii, C.siamensis
 Stems and seeds used for extracting sago used as food
 Macrozamia spiralis a sourc e of stem starch in Australia-used as
food for poultry, dairy animals and pigs
 Encephalartos pith for making Kaffir bread by the aborigines of
South Africa
 Seeds of Cycas media and Macrozamia eaten whole or as a paste
by Australian aboriginals and in Nicobar Islands
Cycadales as medicines
 Juice of young leaves of C.circinals used as remedy for
disorders of stomach, blood vomiting and skin diseases
 Pounded stems of C. pectinata used as hair wash for
diseased hair roots
 Decoction of seeds of C.revoluta is used to relieve
headache, giddiness and sore throat.
 Microsporophylls of C.rumphii and C.circinalis are used as
anodynes
 Pollen grains of some Cycas species strongly narcotic
 Gum obtd from C. rumphii effective in healing malignant
abcesses
Cycadales as decorative
plantations and manure
 Cycads are used as outdoor plants because of their graceful
appearance
 Dried leaves used as decorative material
 Foliage of C.revoluta used for making wreaths ,floral
decorations
 C.revoluta leaves are manure for rice, sweet potato and
sugar cane
 Seed kernels acute irritants if eaten
 Dioon edule buds and cones cause emaciation and partial
paralysis in cattle
 Consumption of Cycads causes several neurological
disorders like Alzheimers, Parkinson disease, and
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
GINKGOALES
 G.biloba is an avenue tree resistant to attacks of insects and
fungi
 Seeds of Ginkgo eaten at feasts promote digestion and
remove effects of drinking wine
 Extracts of leaves of Ginkgo used in treatment of cerebral
insufficiency and vertigo. The extract contains C20 trilactone
ginkgolide compounds which antagonise platelet activating
factor in vertebrate blood systems
CONIFERALES
 Coniferous woods straight grained,light coloured, light weight
 And strong and can be worked on with nails, tools, polish
and paint.-used for cabinets, furniture interior decoration etc
 Scented beautifully figured woods are used for chests
cabinets and panelling
 Abies wood- for packing cases and match wood, aircraft
work and plywood
 Cedrus wood-durable oily insect and rot resistant
 Larix wood-garden furniture, outdoor racks and troughs
 Pinus-packing cases, matches
 Araucaria cunninghamia-for plywood manufacture
 Cupressus sempervirens-coffins by Egyptians
 Juniperus-fragrant reddish and insect resistant-J. virginiana-
std wood for pencil manufacture
Coniferales contd
 Taxodium distichum- greenhouses, cooling towers and roof
planks
 Taxus and Cryptomeria wood durable and well worked upon
 85% of wood pulp for paper and board manufacture is from
Conifers
 Pinus sp for kraft paper
 Picea, Abies and Tsuga for writing paper
 Pinus, Picea and Pseudotsuga for board (thermal and
insulation)
CONIFERALES -RESINS
 RESINS ARE PLANT EXUDATES WHICH MAKE THEM
RESISTANT TO DECAY
 Major resin yielders the coniferales
 Resin oils evaporate harden the resin and therefore used in
paint varnish, lacquer , paper sizing and medicine
Resin mixed with oil is oleo resin and with gum is gum resin
Hard resins with low oil are used in printing inks,adhesives,
fireworks and linoleum
resins
 Copals are hard Resins eg., kauri resin from Agathis
australis-used for varnish and outdoor work;Manila copal
from Agathis australis usd as sizing material and for
preparation of plastics, driers, adhesives, oil cloth, printing
inks and water proofing compositions
 Sanadarac- hard resin, pale yellow orannge exudate from
trunks of Tetraclinis articulata and Callitris sp.-used
as metal, paper and leather varnish aand incense and for
prwservation of paintings
Resins contd
 Canad a Balsam- resin with high refractive index from Abies
balsamea=glass mounting medium and cement for lenses
 Turpentine-viscous honey like oleo resin from P. roxburghii
and P. wallichiana—a thinner in painting and varnish
industry-for printing cloth in perfumery and pharmaceuticals.-
solvent for rubber and gutta percha.
 Rosin a residue of turpentine industry used in soaps,
varnishes, oil cloth, linoleum, sealing wax, adhesives,
plastics etc.
Resins contd
 Amber-got from extinct Pinus succinifera water insolubel
reddish brown fossil, hard and brittle- used for jewellery,
mouth piece of pipes, cigars and cigar holders
 iN medicine-human blood does not coagulate in amber
containers
Coniferales –tannins and misc products
 Araucaria, Dacrydium cupressinum, Larix decidua, Picea
alba and Phyllocladus trichomanoides., Sequoia
sempervirens and Tsuga canadensiss-used in leather and
petroleum industry and for dyeing
 Essential pils obtd steam distillation of all palnt parts of
Coniferales
 - Himalayan cedar wood oil from Cedrus deodara and red
cedarwood oil from Juniperus virginiana –for clearing tissues
and oil immersion lenses
 Juniper oil from Juniperus communis used for flavouring gin
 Oil from Cedrus atlantica used in bronchitis, TB, SKIN
DISEASES AND GONORRHEA
 Pinewood oil from Dacrydium franklinii- against tinia, cuts
and wounds
Coniferales misc
 Seeds give fatty oils eg., tall oil obtd during cooking of conifer
wood-usede for kraft paper , paints and soaps
 Cephalotaxus oil use as illuminant
 Pinus gerardiana or Chilgoza pine seeds are edible-kernels
used in Italy for confectionery
 Taxus leaves in asthma and bronchitis Taxol from T.
BREVIFOLIA EFFECTIVE AGAINST CANCER
 STATELY EVERGREEN SYMMETRICAL HABIT ADD
BEAUTY TO HILL RESORTS(Pine/cedar. Fir,
Spruce/hemlock etc
 Araucaria and Picea are Christmas trees
Gnetales
 Ephedrine from E. EQUISETINA AND OTHERS- COLD
RESPIRATORY DISORDERS ASTHMA AND HAY FEVER,
SOME SPP FOR SYPHILIS
 Preparation of mormon tea in US
 Young parts edible
 Bark gives fibre of good tensile strength
 Seed kernels give oils for illumination for cooking,
illumination. And rheumatism
 Piscicidal properties of G. montanum