because it was venerated and protected by local people. Metase- 

 quoia, or the Dawn Redwood, is now widely planted as an orna- 

 mental tree and is able to tolerate a wide variety of ecological 

 conditions. Unlike Coast Redwood, Me tasequoia is deciduous 

 (like its relatives in the genus Taxodium, the bald cypresses). 



The fossil history of Coast Redwood goes back several million 

 years and indicates that this species and its immediate ancestors 

 were once scattered over much of the northern hemisphere. Cli- 

 matic changes in the relatively recent geological past have resulted 

 in the gradual extinction of Sequoia over much of its former 

 range, with the result that S. semperivirens is now restricted to 

 the outer Coast Ranges from extreme southern Oregon southward 

 to Santa Cruz County (more or less continuously), with a few 

 outlying groves in Monterey County, California. The rainfall in 

 this coastal strip is variable, ranging from a high of over 100 

 inches (254 cm) annually in the north to a low of 35 inches (89 

 cm) in the south. However, since Coast Redwood is generally re- 

 stricted to the coastal fog zone, transpiration during the dry 

 summers is much reduced by the effect of the fog. In addition, 

 as much as 10 inches (25 cm) of added precipitation per year 

 has been recorded as a result of fog drip under trees, with the 

 result that Coast Redwood is able to exert a favorable influence 

 over its immediate environment by adding to the effective 

 precipitation. 



The phase of North Coastal Forest occupied by Coast Red- 

 wood is esthetically very pleasing but rather monotonous botani- 

 cally. There are rather few plant species associated with Coast 

 Redwood ; the forest floor under these gigantic trees is remarkably 

 uniform in terms of the few herbs that grow under the trees. One 

 finds Sword Fern {Polystichum munitum). Redwood Sorrel 

 {Oxalis oregana), Inside-out Flower {Vancouveria parviflord), and 

 the slightly woody, trailing saxifrage. Verba de Selva {Whipplea 

 modestd). Characteristic shrubs include California or Evergreen 

 Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), California Rose Bay (Rhodo- 

 dendron macrophyllum), Salal {Gaultheria shallon), and Wax 

 Myrtle (Myrica calif omica). In some areas. Coast Redwood co- 

 exists with California Bay (Umbellularia californica), Douglas 

 Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Tan Oak {Lithocarpus densi- 



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