BALD CYPRESS 



Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), which traces its descent from a very 

 ancient family, is one of the few coniferous trees that sheds its leaves in winter. 

 This habit' -of becoming "bald" in winter gave rise to its first name. The 

 genus embraces three species, two in North America and one in China. In 

 this country the bald cypress which grows naturally in the swamps of the 

 South Atlantic and Gulf regions is the only one that has a commercial value. 

 It is one of the very few species of trees that will adapt itself to extremes of 

 moisture in the soil. 



In its native habitat bald cypress reaches a height of 150 feet and a 

 diameter of four or five feet. The lower part of the trunk bears huge but- 

 tresses, each of which ends in a long branching root from the branches of which 

 spring knees which rise above the level of the water. The knees are of a soft 

 spongy texture, and it is supposed that they act as breathing organs, supply- 

 ing the roots with air which they would otherwise be unable to obtain when 

 submerged. 



Bald cypress has stout horizontally spreading branches and leaves some- 

 what like those of the redwood. The light green feathery foliage gives the 

 tree a most graceful appearance. Under cultivation the knees are usually 

 absent. This tree does not stand intense cold, but is adaptive to many soil 

 conditions, and grows rapidly, even in a dry soil. Splendid specimens of this 

 tree are to be found in Berkeley. 



Of the two related species of bald cypress, one is a shrub native to China, 

 the other a large tree found in Mexico called the "Cypress of Montezuma" or 

 "Evergreen cypress" because of the fact that it retains its leaves throughout 

 the year. This tree was reverenced by the Indians long before the discovery 

 of America. It is widely planted in parks in Santa Barbara and has a striking 

 individuality because of its distinctive color and form. 



. SEQUOIA 



The genus Sequoia embraces two giant species which are the most magnifi- 

 cent trees in the world, and which justly rank with its natural wonders. The 

 term Sequoia is in honor of an Indian Chief named Sequoyah, the inventor of 

 the Cherokee alphabet. This genus together with closely related groups 

 once spread over the entire northern hemisphere. Fossil remains have been 



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