|
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
The Giant Sequoia of the Sierra Nevada |
|
APPENDIX I:
SEQUOIA RELATIVES
The giant sequoia is a species belonging to the Taxodiaceae, a family of ancient and well-recorded lineage. Today, its range is considerably reduced and it is made up of just 10 genera and 15 species, all of them trees with narrow, linear, or awl-shaped leaves either spirally arranged or appearing two-ranked. The cones are usually globose, either woody or leathery, and usually have persistent cone scales.
Following is a short synopsis of the genera in the family Taxodiaceae as listed in A Handbook of Coniferae and Ginkogaceae by Dallimore and Jackson (1967):
| Athrotaxis | Tasmanian-Cedars. Three species, native only to Tasmania. |
| Cryptomeria | Japanese-cedar. One species, C. japonica. Native to Japan. Many cultivated forms. |
| Cunninghamia | Chinese-firs. Two species only, in China, Formosa, and other nearby islands. |
| Glyptostrobus | Chinese deciduous-cypress. One species, only in Canton Province, China. |
| Metasequoia | Dawn Redwood. One species, M. glyptostroboides. Native only to eastern Szechwan and western Hupeh provinces of China. Not discovered until 1941 and first publicized in 1944. |
| Sciadopitys | Japanese umbrella-pine. One species. Native to Japan. |
| Sequoia | Coast Redwood. One species, Sequoia sempervirens. Native only in coastal California and Southern Oregon. |
| Sequoiadendron | Giant Sequoia. One species. Native only to west slope of the Sierra Nevada in California. |
| Taiwania | One species only and native only to Taiwan and China. |
| Taxodium | Bald-cypress. Three species. Native only to southeastern United States and Mexico. |
| <<< Previous | <<< Contents >>> | Next >>> |
app1.htm
Last Updated: 06-Mar-2007