Sequoiadendron giganteum |
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bigtree, giant redwood, giant sequoia, redwood, Sierra-redwood, Sierran redwood |
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Habit | Trees to 90 m; trunk to 11 m diam.; crown conic and monopodial when young, narrowed and somewhat rounded in age. |
Bark | reddish brown, to ca. 60 cm thick, fibrous, ridged and furrowed. |
Branches | generally horizontal to downward-sweeping with upturned ends. |
Leaves | generally with stomates on both surfaces, the free portion to ca. 15 mm. |
Pollen cones | nearly globose to ovoid, 4–8 mm. |
Seed(s) | cones 4–9 cm. |
2n | = 22. |
Sequoiadendron giganteum |
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Habitat | Mixed montane coniferous forests, in isolated groves on the w slopes of the Sierra Nevada |
Elevation | 900–2700 m (3000–8900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA
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Discussion | Mature individuals of this species are the most voluminous living organisms and among the most long-lived trees. Sequoiadendron giganteum was formerly included in Sequoia, under the later homonym Sequoia gigantea (Lindley) Decaisne, a conservative placement that still has merit (J. Doyle 1945; O. Schwarz and H. Weide 1962). Redwood, including Sequoiadendron giganteum and Sequoia sempervirens, is the state tree of California. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 2. |
Parent taxa | Cupressaceae > Sequoiadendron |
Synonyms | Wellingtonia gigantea, Sequoia gigantea |
Name authority | (Lindley) J. Buchholz: Amer. J. Bot. 26: 536. (1939) |
Web links |