Sequoiadendron giganteum

(Lindley) J. Buchholz

Amer. J. Bot. 26: 536. 1939.

Common names: Giant sequoia bigtree Sierra-redwood
IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Wellingtonia gigantea Lindley Gard. Chron. 10: 823. 1853 Sequoia gigantea (Lindley) Decaisne 1854,
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 2.

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-cones 4–9 cm. Seeds 3–6 mm. 2n = 22.


Habitat: Mixed montane coniferous forests, in isolated groves on the w slopes of the Sierra Nevada
Elevation: 900–2700 m

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thick" is not a number.

... more about "Sequoiadendron giganteum"
Frank D. Watson +
(Lindley) J. Buchholz +
long-lived +
reddish-brown +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
Wellingtonia gigantea +  and Sequoia gigantea +
downward-sweeping +
inconspicuous +  and undifferentiated +
Giant sequoia +, bigtree +  and Sierra-redwood +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
rounded +, narrowed +  and conic +
900–2700 m +
Mixed montane coniferous forests, in isolated groves on the w slopes of the Sierra Nevada +
decurrent +  and scale-like +
petioled +, sessile +, twisted +  and simple +
divergent +, radiating +  and alternate +
persisting +
spreading +  and appressed +
3 (?) +  and 5 (?) +
triangular +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
nearly globose;ovoid +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Amer. J. Bot. +
fibrous;woody +
peltate +  and complex +
cuneate +  and oblong +
fleshy +  and woody +
overlapping +
persistent +
1 +  and 2 +
3 +  and 9 +
lenticular +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Sequoiadendron giganteum +
Sequoiadendron +
species +
flattened +, angled +  and terete +
asymmetric +  and symmetric +