wonderful and diverse flora of our planet.One of the most interesting is a separate genus of trees, consisting of only one type, represented by evergreen sequoia.There are a few names of this plant - a red sequoia and taksodium evergreen.These members of the family Taxodiaceae - absolute leaders in height, not only among the conifers, but throughout the plant kingdom of the earth.Amazing maximum height evergreen sequoia.What power, what power!Let's talk about this giant, preserved since ancient times.
Sequoia: giant trees
Sequoia - one of three species of trees, known as the epithet "Mahogany."It is an evergreen ephedra, life expectancy is on different evidence it reaches 3,000 years, height to 115, and the base diameter - 5-6 meters and more.The name "sequoia" allegedly given to the plant in honor of the leader of the Cherokee Indian tribe - Sequoia, but maybe it's just a beautiful legend.
maximum height evergreen sequoia
These trees are the real giants.The height at which they are drawn, is amazing and the people they had not seen, it is hard to plant, reaching the roof of a 46-storey building.It's really unique tree, because even the average in most of the instances exceed shestidesyatimetrovoy mark.Many ephedra this kind afford devyanostometrovy growth, and there are champions.Maximum height evergreen sequoia called the "Father of the forests" and, unfortunately, has not survived to the present day, was 135 meters.Modern undisputed leader - Sequoia "Hyperion", which reached 115.6 meters in height.No less impressive and the diameter of the base of "Hyperion" - almost 5 meters.The approximate age of the giant - about 800 years.
Leadership of this plant was established in 2006 by American scientists.They also said that if the tip of the tree was not damaged by birds, the maximum height in meters of evergreen redwoods amounted to 115.8 m. Located in the Californian giant national park "Redwood" the State of California, and admire it can be anyone.In the recorded history of mankind and the largest stem diameter - 7 m, as well as advanced age, reaching up to 3500 years.
Features kind
So sequoia - evergreen monoecious ephedra with conical-shaped crown.The branches of the tree, typically ground grow horizontally or slightly inclined downwards.Cora, reaching a thickness of 30 cm, has a fibrous, cut on deep furrows, relatively soft texture and a terracotta shade, darkens after a certain time after its removal.This property's crust gave the name to mind - "Mahogany."
Among all Taxodiaceae Sequoia has the most valuable wood core with pink-red tones and cream or white sapwood, t. E. The layers located between the core and the cambium.Surprisingly, the quality of the wood in a barrel may vary.Most evergreen sequoia maximum height exceeding 110 meters, as the card type, points to the uniqueness of this plant.One tree can give wood significantly more than 1000 cubic meters.
narrow tree crown, decorated with pine cones, begins to rise above the third part of the trunk.The root system is formed by highly sprawling lateral roots, leaving shallow soil.
Sequoia is not only a giant but also longevity - one of the longest living plants in the world.Her age - more than 2000 years.Maturity young redwoods reach 400-500 years.
Reproduction redwoods
In nature, there are many amazing events.And Sequoia, the great Gulliver vegetable kingdom grows out of a tiny seed, whose length does not exceed half a centimeter.Propagated sequoia seeds collected in small single oval-shaped cones can give and abundant growth.Cones plants ranging in size from 15 to 30 mm ripening in late autumn and contain 3-7 seeds which are poured by drying the fruit.
special kind is the lack of differences in terms of growth rate and longevity between seedlings grown from seeds and young shoots, arising spontaneously.It does not change the maximum height and evergreen sequoia depending on the method of germination.
where there are giant trees?
long time ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, these evergreens were distributed throughout the northern hemisphere.Then no one hit the maximum height evergreen sequoia.
Today, the remains of relict forests, where they grow, are preserved in the limited space of western North America: on a narrow strip of the Pacific coast stretching from Monterey County, California, on the north to the south of the river clear of Oregon.This band takes a little more than 700 km and is located at an altitude of 600 to 900 meters above sea level.The damp climate requires Sequoia, so it can not spread further from shore than 30-40 km, and is always in the zone of influence of the sea air, carrying much needed water to the plant.
the first time the concept of "Sequoia Forest" appeared in 1769, when found on the Pacific coast.Then the color of the wood the plant has been called "mahogany" retained by the day.In 1847, an Austrian biologist Stephen Endliherom these plants were identified as a separate species, the characteristic feature of which was the maximum height evergreen sequoia in excess of 100-110 meters.
Properties wood
Gorgeous quality timber plants, heavy, light, not susceptible insect pests and rot, is widely known in the world and is used as a carpenter's material, which is often indispensable in the manufacture of a variety of things - from furniture to sleepers and prefabricated houses.Complete absence of odor wood allows to use the material in those areas of industrial production, where it is necessary, for example, in the food and tobacco.Amazing maximum height evergreen sequoia.Photos of these plants presented in the article, emphasize their greatness, power and beauty.
