Amazing and diverse flora of our planet. One of the most interesting is an isolated genus of trees, consisting of only one species, represented by evergreen sequoia.
Sequoia is one of the three tree species knownunder the epithet "mahogany". This is an evergreen conifer, whose life expectancy reaches 3,000 years according to various testimonies, its height is up to 115, and its base diameter is 5-6 meters or more. The name "Sequoia" is supposedly given to the plant in honor of the leader of the Indian tribe Cherokee - Sequoia, but it is possible that this is only a beautiful legend.
The lead of this plant was established in 2006year by American scientists. They also said that if the top of the tree had not been damaged by birds, then the maximum height of the evergreen tree in meters would be 115.8 m. There is a giant in California's Redwood National Park of California, and anyone can admire it. In the history of mankind, the largest diameter of the trunk is also recorded - 7 m, as well as a solid age, reaching up to 3.5 thousand years.
So, sequoia is an evergreen monoecious conifer withcrown of conical shape. The branches of a tree tend to grow horizontally on the ground or with a slight downward slope. The bark, reaching a thickness of 30 cm, has a fibrous, dissected into deep furrows, a relatively soft structure and a terracotta shade, darkening after some time after its removal. It is this property of the bark that gave the name of the species - “mahogany”.
Among all taxiodia, redwood has the mostvaluable wood with a pink-red core and a cream or white sapwood, i.e. layers between the core and the cambium. Surprisingly, the quality of wood in one trunk may vary. The maximum height of the redwood evergreen, exceeding 110 meters, as a visiting card of the species, indicates the uniqueness of this plant. One tree is capable of producing wood of substantially more than 1000 cubic meters.
A narrow tree crown, decorated with cones, begins to grow above the third part of the trunk. The root system is formed by strongly stretched lateral roots, leaving a shallow depth in the ground.
Sequoia is not only a giant, but also a long-liver - one of the most long-lived plants on Earth. Her age is more than 2000 years. Maturity young redwoods reach 400–500 years.
In nature, there are many amazing events.So sequoia, the great Gulliver of the vegetable kingdom, grows out of a tiny seed, the length of which does not exceed half a centimeter. Sequoia is propagated by seeds collected in small single oval-shaped cones, and can produce abundant growth. Cones plants ranging in size from 15 to 30 mm ripen in late autumn and contain 3-7 seeds, which spill out during the drying of the fruit.
A feature of the form is the lack of differences inindicators of the rate of growth and longevity between seedlings grown from seeds, and young shoots that occur spontaneously. The maximum height of the sequoia is also not changed, depending on the method of germination.
Long ago, at the end of the Cretaceous, these evergreens were distributed throughout the northern hemisphere. Then no one was struck by the maximum height of the evergreen sequoia.
The concept of "sequoia forests" first appeared in 1769year when they are found on the Pacific coast. At the same time the color of wood plant got the name "mahogany", preserved behind him today. In 1847, the Austrian biologist Stefan Endlicher, these plants were isolated in a separate species, a characteristic feature of which was the maximum height of the redwood evergreen, in meters exceeding 100-110.
Gorgeous quality wood plants,Dense, lightweight, resistant to pests and decay, is widely known in the world and is used as carpentry material, which is often indispensable in the manufacture of various things - from sleepers and furniture to finished houses.
