Sequoia and mammoth tree. Mammoth tree - giant sequoia - sequoiadendron Giant sequoia as in another way

One of the highest (up to 135 m) trees on the planet is the sequoia, or mammoth tree. In height, it is second only to eucalyptus.[ ...]

The giant sequoiadendron was described in 1853. After the discovery of the mammoth tree by Europeans, its name changed several times. The giant sequoiadendron caught the imagination of the inhabitants of the Old World, and it is given names the greatest people. So, the famous English botanist D. L and n d-l, who first described this plant, calls it wellingtonia in honor of the English Duke of Wellington, the hero of the Battle of Waterloo. The Americans, in turn, proposed the name Washington (or Washington Sequoia), in honor of the first US President D. Washington, who led the liberation movement against the British. But since the names washingtonia and wellingtonia had already been previously assigned to other plants, in 1939 this genus was named se-voyadepdron.[ ...]

The modern taxodiaceae include a number of interesting plants. Among the first should be called sequoiadendron or mammoth tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum) - one of the largest and longest-lived plants in the world. Yielding in height only to the evergreen sequoia and one of the eucalyptus species, in particular the willow eucalyptus (Eucalyptus salicifolia) from Australia, the sequoiadendron undoubtedly exceeds their trunk thickness.[ ...]

The climate became more humid, and all the land was overgrown with abundant vegetation. The forerunners of today's cypresses, pines and mammoth trees appeared in the forests.[ ...]

by the most famous representative taxodia, of course, is the famous giant sequoiadendron (Sequoiadendron gigan-teum), also called the mammoth tree because of its gigantic size and resemblance its huge hanging branches with mammoth tusks. In terms of size and anatomical and morphological features, the evergreen sequoia is close to it ( Sequoia sempervirens). Both of these plants were widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere at the end of the Cretaceous and in the Tertiary period. The remains of forests with their participation, which once occupied vast spaces, are now preserved only in a limited area of ​​the west. North America. The evergreen sequoia still forms fairly extensive forest areas on a narrow strip of the Pacific coast from Southwestern Oregon to the Santa JIy ridge in California (at an altitude of 600-900 m). The giant sequoiadendron is found in separate small groves (about 30 of them) only on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in California (at an altitude of 1500-2000 m).[ ...]

If eucalyptus trees are distinguished by considerable plasticity in adapting to soil conditions, then we can already expect great variety in the development of eucalyptus stands and tree sizes. Indeed, on the one hand, we meet eucalyptus trees that surpass all others in their height. tree species world, even sequoia and mammoth tree. On the other hand, in the mountains, on the border of forest vegetation and on poor soils, eucalyptus trees begin to decrease sharply in size and are already clumsy, relatively stunted trees.[ ...]

However, in semicarpic plants, the transition to the formation of reproductive organs does not directly accelerate the aging process, and they have the ability to continue their own! growth, and the duration of the stages of reproduction and old age is sometimes so long that plants live up to 2000 years (cypresses, yews and cedars) and even up to 5000 years (mammoth trees).[ ...]

Ontogeny, or individual development, of plants begins from the moment of fertilization of the egg or the appearance of a rudimentary night in the reproductive organs and tissues of the mother plant and ends with the death of the plant. Thus, ontogenesis is a complete life cycle of a plant, includes all its life processes and manifestations, and continues, depending on the type of plant, from 5-6 years in miniature ephemera to 3-5 thousand years in the giants of the plant kingdom - mammoth trees, cedars and other species.[ ...]

Ontogeny (from Greek - existence and origin) - the individual development of the organism from the moment of formation to its natural completion life cycle(until death or cessation of existence in its former capacity). The term was introduced by E. Haeckel in 1866. Ontogeny is a process of deployment and implementation hereditary information embedded in germ cells. It in plants as a whole is more dependent on conditions. natural environment than in animals. Representatives different types living organisms, the duration of ontogenesis is not the same (Table 21). The intervals of life expectancy fluctuate especially sharply in plants, in particular, the long-livers (up to 4,000-5,000 years) are the baobab, the dragon tree, the mammoth tree (sequoia), the California bristlecone pine, etc. Some arctic plants, despite extreme conditions, they live relatively long: the age limit for dwarf birch is 80 years, polar willow - 200 years, blueberries - 93 years, etc.

Sequoia evergreen (mammoth tree) - the only member of the genus woody plants from the Cypress family.

origin of name

Regarding the origin of the name, from the moment the botanist from Austria S. Endlicher gave the name "sequoia" to this plant in 1847, to the present day, there are disputes between specialists about the etymology of this word. The researchers were divided into two opposing camps. The first believe that the name was given in honor of the leader of one of the Cherokee Indian tribes (the tribe lived in the area where this plant was first met and described) - George Gest (Sequoias), in order to perpetuate his name and contribution to the development of the Cherokee language, so how exactly he invented the Cherokee alphabet and was the publisher of the first newspaper in this language (in 1826). Moreover, the biographers of S. Endlicher note his interest in linguistics and his tendency to name new plants in honor of famous people. The second believe that the name "sequoia" has roots in Latin, where it means “to follow something”, explaining that the Sequoia genus was bred from the genus Taxodium and is its follower, also a follower of the vegetation of the forests of the past. Indeed, Sequoia is one of the oldest plants on the planet.

Modern research from 2012 to 2017 tends to the first version of the origin of the name Sequoia.

There is another name for this plant - mammoth tree. Really appropriate appearance this relic plant. A huge tree in height and thickness, with a bizarre trunk shape, with branches resembling bivnimamont.

Description

Sequoia is an evergreen tree, one of the tallest (up to 110 m) and long-lived (over 2000 years) plants on the planet. The tall, straight trunk grows over 10 meters in diameter and has a very thick bark, sometimes over 30 cm. gets dark for a while. The conical crown is formed by long branches that grow almost horizontally or slightly inclined. On the branches, the leaves are flat and elongated in shape, grow up to 2.5 cm, while the older leaves are scaly and shorter - from 0.5 to 1 cm. The roots do not penetrate deeply into the ground, but diverge widely with lateral processes.

Sequoia has a feminine and masculine beginning (monoecious plant). Pollination occurs towards the end of winter, then after 8-9 months, ovoid cones up to 3 cm in size ripen. Inside each cone there are up to 7 seeds, each up to 4 mm.

reproduction

Propagated by seeds and vegetatively - cuttings and grafting. Easily gives new shoots from an already sawn tree - from a stump, or gives lateral shoots from the trunk, due to the presence of dormant buds.

growing conditions

Studies show that the first redwoods appeared on earth more than 200 million years ago and occupied vast areas of the northern hemisphere. Then, with the change of climate on the planet, the plant gradually moved to more southern latitudes and was discovered and described on the Pacific coast. Sequoia is very fond of vast spaces, warmth and a lot of moisture in the soil, therefore today it is distributed mainly on the American continent, in the state of California, not far from the ocean. The habitat is not very large, about 700 km along the coastline, deepening into the continent from 8 to 75 km. It grows both on the flat coast, and rising to a height of up to 900 m above sea level. Sequoia loves ravines and gorges, especially those where there is often fog, but specimens growing above 300 meters above sea level do not tall and not as powerful. It is also introduced in latitudes where the climate suits it, in particular in the Sochi Black Sea region. comfortable conditions for the growth of this giant tree. Is thermophilic tropical plant, can tolerate short-term frosts down to -15ºС.

Application

Lightweight, easy to rot and durable wood allows you to use Sequoia as construction material, in furniture production, in the manufacture of sleepers and supporting masts. Since the wood is practically odorless, it is widely used as a tare board in the production of packaging for the food industry and tobacco production.

Breeding species of Sequoia are used in landscape construction as dominants, in the art of bonsai.

Since this plant is considered a relic, scientists carefully track unique specimens and classify the Sequoia as one of the tallest plants on the planet. Such copies are given names and issued a passport. The tallest mammoth tree on the planet is named Hyperion, reaches a height of 115.61 m and could grow further if woodpeckers did not damage extreme point growth.

At the beginning of the 21st century, American scientists conducted research, as a result of which it was found that trees on Earth cannot overcome the growth height of 130 meters. This is due to physical processes on the planet, such as friction and gravity. These processes take place between the bark of the wood and the liquid that escapes through holes in the bark.

To the question What is a mammoth tree? given by the author Olesya the best answer is
The name of the species was due to the gigantic size and external resemblance of its huge hanging branches to mammoth tusks. This species was widely distributed in the northern hemisphere at the end Cretaceous and in the Tertiary period, now only about 30 groves have been preserved, located on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in California at an altitude of 1500-2000 m above sea level.
Mature trees reach a height of up to 100 meters with a trunk diameter of 10-12 m. this moment, giant sequoia has an age of 3200 years, established by annual rings.
The name of the giant sequoiadendron, described in 1853, has changed several times due to the desire to give the tree the name of one of the great people of that time. The largest sequoiadendrons are proper names: "Father of the Forests", "General Sherman", "General Grant" and others.
Sequoiadendron as an ornamental plant is bred in many countries of the world: the southwestern part of Europe, where it was introduced back in the middle of the 19th century, as well as in Southern Crimea, Central Asia, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, in Transcarpathia.
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GIANTS
For those who see the sequoia for the first time, it seems like something that came from a fairy tale. The average diameter of a tree is two and a half meters, and sometimes up to six meters, and the height of some trees exceeds 110 meters. Such a tree would be taller than the Statue of Liberty from the base of the pedestal to the top of the torch. In the volume of the trunk, an intercity bus is freely placed. Sequoia is the largest living organism on Earth. A typical redwood forest contains more biomass per unit area than any other area in the world. the globe, including the Amazonian selva.

Answer from Natushka[guru]
Sequoia dendron, or mammoth tree, can be up to 100 meters high with a trunk diameter of up to 10 m. This is hard to imagine. A tree that is taller than the tallest house! And how shocked were the Europeans who saw such a forest! It was in 1762 in the south of North America, on the coast Pacific Ocean.Sequoia was named by the Austrian botanist Stefan Endlicher in honor of the prominent leader of the American Sequoia Iroquois tribe. Now botanists call it sequoia dendron. This tree lives for a very long time. They call the age of both 3 and 4 thousand years. AT different ages sequoia dendron looks different. young tree, about a hundred years old, looks like a dark green pyramid. The translucent reddish trunk is covered with branches from the very ground to the top. Over time, the trunk becomes bare and becomes thick, and then becomes gigantic. It is known that thirty people fit freely on one stump of the Mammoth tree. And in one of the parks in America, a tunnel was pierced through its trunk, through which cars pass freely. Now there are only 500 such trees left. They are guarded, they are even given their own names, for example, "Father of the Forests", "General Grant". Its red-colored wood does not rot, and this was one of the reasons for the destruction of these trees.

Answer from VeselyVolk[guru]
Looks like a sequoia

Answer from Tatyana[guru]
Sequoiadendron giant, mammoth tree. Sequoiadendron giant, mammoth tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindl.) Bucch.) This is a coniferous evergreen tree gigantic, native to North America. Once, 60 million years ago, it was widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, and now it is preserved only in a special reserve in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. The grove has only about 500 trees. It is one of the highest and long-lived trees on the globe. Struck by him giant size and the peculiar arrangement of huge arched hanging branches resembling mammoth tusks, the discoverers gave it the name mammoth tree.

(Sequoiadendron)- a genus of woody plants of the Taxodiaceae family (lat. Taxodiaceae), which, without exaggeration, can be called living fossils. This genus has only one species - sequoiadendron giant, or mammoth tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum). Sequoia forests were first discovered by Europeans on the Pacific coast in 1769, and in 1853 the sequoiadendron was described by the famous English botanist D. Lindley, who gave it the name wellingtonia in honor of the English Duke of Wellington, the hero of the Battle of Waterloo. But in 1939, this genus was given the name "sequoiadendron" because the name "wellingtonia" had previously been assigned to another plant.

A coniferous heartwood species with light red heartwood, medium hardness and good mechanical properties. The high density makes this wood light yet strong, and the combination of oils and resins almost eliminates rot, termite attacks and other insects. She is perfect for construction works, for the manufacture of hedges and tiles, and the thick bark of this tree (30-60 cm) can be used as gaskets in fruit containers. Precisely because of the high-quality wood, since the time of the first explorers, the predatory extermination of se-voyadendrons began. Today, this endangered species is under protection, therefore, it is mainly excluded from economic use.

In nature, sequoiadendron can only be found in reserves on the western slopes of the Californian Sierra Nevada, where it grows in woodland Mariposa Grove, located 35 miles from Yosemite Valley. Sequoiadendrons grow in small separate groves (there are about 30 in total) at an altitude of 1500-2000 m above sea level. The remaining trees, and there are only about 500 of them, have been declared protected. The largest sequoiadendrons have their own names: "Father of the Forests", "General Sherman", "General Grant". One of them is the "Giant Grizzly", whose age is 2700 years. This centenarian reaches a height of 65 meters, and the diameter of its base is 9 meters. On the saw cut of another tree, an orchestra and three dozen dancers freely fit. There are also tunnels made in lower parts trunks (for example, in Yosemite Park, such a tunnel has existed since 1881. Cars pass freely through it.
Sequoiadendrons up to 135 m high and about 6000 years old are also known.
Sequoiadendrons, as well as their closest relatives - sequoias, are perfectly adapted to frequent forest fires. Their wood and bark are fire resistant. Black scars on the trunks of large trees testify to past fires. In addition, the reproduction of these plants depends on fires. Tiny seeds require a minimum of soil to germinate, while seedlings need full sun. Fires destroy competing trees and provide fertile ash plus direct access to the sun.

In many countries of the world, the sequoiadendron is bred as an ornamental plant. It looks especially attractive at the age of 80-100 years, when its dark green crown, which starts from the ground, has a regular pyramidal shape. Sequoiadendron also paints reddish bark, scaly needles and small single cones with flat thyroid scales arranged in a spiral. With age, the correctness of the crown is violated, the previously decorative trunk is exposed and thickened, and the tree takes on a monumental appearance.
Sequoiadendron was introduced to Europe in 1853. It has perfectly taken root in the gardens and parks of its southwestern part, especially in Great Britain, where the largest cultivar is located, whose height reaches 45 m.

The seeds of this giant tree came to Russia five years later. Thus, the first sequoiadendrons were planted in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, and later they appeared on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and in Central Asia. Despite the fact that under artificial conditions these trees grow more slowly than at home, they also reach quite impressive sizes.

FEATURES OF CULTIVATION, SOIL, LANDING RULES
Since the sequoiadendron is not widely used for landscape construction, the basic rules for caring for it have not been fully developed. Thus, if the gardener decided to purchase a sequoiadendron for landscaping his personal plot, he must follow general rules breeding coniferous plants. It should also be noted that sequoiadendron prefers a humid warm climate ( Maximum temperature in July is 25-29°C).
Most of the groves, which consist of sequoiadendrons, grow on granite residual and alluvial soils. The giant tree prefers well-drained, moist sandy loams with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. In general, with sufficient humidity of air and soil, the plant is not very demanding on the mechanical composition of the soil.
To plant a sequoiadendron, you should follow the basic rules for planting conifers. Landing pits should be prepared in advance. At heavy soils drainage from gravel or broken bricks with a layer of 20 cm is required. Before planting, it is recommended to prepare special soil - soddy or leafy soil with the addition of sand or clay. When planting, the root neck should be at ground level. During the first two years after planting, mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil in the amount of 30-40 g/cm. If the weather is dry, hot, the plants need to be watered, sprinkling twice a month.

BREEDING
The main method of propagation is by seeds, but can also be propagated by cuttings.
Seeds are sown in spring (April, May) or without prior preparation, or they are soaked in water for 1-2 days (ground germination is 1-2%). By autumn, the seedlings have up to six shoots and reach a height of 8-10 cm, and in the second year of life it grows up to 20-30 cm.

DISEASES AND PESTS
Sequoiadendron is very resistant to diseases and pests, but in climate conditions Black Sea coast Caucasus is affected by root rot, and in more northern regions grows very slowly and is damaged by frost.

LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Sequoiadendron is recommended for use in single and solitary plantings.

For those who saw a sequoia for the first time, it will seem like something magical that came from a children's fairy tale. scientific name — sequoiadendron giant (Sequoiadendron giganteum) or sequoia, but it has another name - mammoth tree. It is really insane in size, yes, and outwardly the branches of the tree are very similar to mammoth tusks. The average diameter of the giant can reach up to 10 meters, and the height of some specimens exceeds 110 meters.

It seems that redwoods have a fairly long history of their existence on Earth, and similar forests of mammoth trees already existed under the dinosaurs. Then they grew all over the planet, and today they natural habitat limited to a strip of the foggy coast of Northern California (hence the name - evergreen sequoia, or Californian - Sequoia sempervirens) and a site in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The average age of giant sequoias is difficult to say for sure, they suggest 3-4 thousand years, although some are 13 thousand years old!

After mammoth tree was discovered by Europeans, its name changed several times. So, the famous British botanist D. Lindley, who first spoke about this plant, called it wellingtonia in honor of the Duke of Wellington, hero of the Battle of Waterloo. The Americans, in turn, proposed to name washingtonia(or Washington sequoia), in honor of the first President D. Washington. But since the names washingtonia and wellingtonia had previously been assigned to other plants, in 1939 this species was named sequoiadendron.

Unusual facts:

A live sequoia that has been felled will continue to try to grow with its shoots. If nothing prevents this, the upward-facing shoots will turn into independent trees, and many groups of sequoia trees got their start in this way. The "cathedral" or family of trees is precisely the trees that have grown from the undead remains of the trunk of a fallen sequoia, and since they have grown around the perimeter of the former stump, they form a circle. If you analyze the genetic material from the cells of these trees, you will find that it is the same in all of them and in the stump from which they grew.

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