SEQUOIA 



gigantic forest trees, witli trunks iisuallv lieavily but- 

 tressed at base, eovered with tliirk. tihrous bark, deeply 

 aud widely lol)ed ; lieartwnod dark red, soft, durablJ, 

 straiglit-graiued: sapwood verv thin and nearly wliite : 

 Its. persistent, alternate, often dimorphic (especiallv on 

 young trees) : Hs. naked, nuinie.-ious, solitary, the stanii- 

 uate terminal or axillary; stamens numerous: cones 

 maturing in one season. Ojiee widely distrihnteil in 

 several species tliroughout the intn-ior of North America 

 and parts of Europe, liut now limited t" two species, 

 w-hich are confined to the mountains of (.■alifornia. 



The wood of ,S. nempercireiis at present forms the 

 bulk of the redwood lumber in the trade, and is used 

 on the Pacitic coast wherever a li^'ht, durable, easily 

 worked material is desired. Jlost wooden buihlings are 

 constructed with this lumber in California, and" it is 

 sometimes exported to Europe to be employed as a suh- 

 stitute for red cedar in the manufacture of 'lead-pein-ils. 

 Logs with a curly grain are hiu'hiy prized by cabinet- 

 makers, from whom they have received the name "curly 

 redwood." 



The wood of S. giginilfit resembles that of .S'. .•>, uiprr- 

 vii-ens. but is coarser-grained and lighter i in w-ei^jbtl, 

 and is therefore not adapted to as wide use as the latter. 

 It is very durable in contact with the soil, however, and 

 is widely used for coarser construction work, ties, fence- 

 posts, vineyard stakes, shingles, and the like. 



As an ornamental subject. ^'. k, iiipi i-ri r< us will be 

 valuable wherever it is iiardy. It is rather insistent 

 upon a cool, moist, foggy climate, however, aiel is in 

 this respect inferior to tlie other species, alfhoui;h a va- 

 riety known as S. sun luri-irfiix, var. ijlaiiea, is reported 

 to be doing well in scitttliern California. 



;S. <jiij:iiit,':( has been more widely planted in the East 

 and in Euro]ie. and in sheltered locations has maintained 

 itself for a number of years. The m.ist notable exam- 

 ples are those in the Elhvanger & Barry grounds, at 

 Rochester, N. Y., which are now about -10 yrs. old, 30 

 ft. high and 12 in. in diameter at base of trunks, "\\'hen 

 seen in the winter of 1900-1, however, these trees were 

 beginning to show the effects of the rigorous climate bv 

 their dead and dying tops. This species is far more 



SEQUOIA 



] tl.j!) 



Senecio Petasitis ( X 3i; 



hardy than 6'. semperviyens, and even in the dry climate 

 of southern California is reported to be doing; very well. 

 A weeping variety known as S. peiidula is advertised, 

 which originated some years ago in European nurseries, 

 and is described as having "all pendulous branches, 

 closely pressed against the stem," Both species are said 



to dislike heavy soils, and to thrive best when iijantcd in 

 ihn^p sandy loam. Both are easily pro])agati-d fn.in seed, 

 which sprout readily in a few weeks. 



2317. Senecio Doue^lasii (\ ^4). 



A. JLfs. dimorphic , > 

 semp^rvirens, Endl. 



tn>/J;, j-rcnkrd: buds scoJij. 



< 'ALIFriRNTA KeI'WimH.. Fii^. 



L';ny. Tree, 200-400 ft. and in<.i-<- liigh, with a sli-lnlv 

 tapering trunk, 10-20 and someriiiics 23 ft. in diam., and 

 often clear of branches for uvi-r ](I0 ft.: branchlets and 

 Ivs. distichously spreading, the latter persistent for two 

 or three years and sninetimrs diniornhic on the saiue 

 branch, the ]arg(.-r ^-t-'U in. long, the smaller scale-like: 

 cone oblong, '^^-l in. long, y, in. broad, and persistent 

 after opening and discharging the se.-d. ('ontined to 

 northern and central C'oast Ranges of (";difurnia on 

 slopes exposed to sea intiuences. .S.S. 3n:ri:i.'j. — "Whrn 

 cut, or from fallen stems, it throws i^p niiiny vi^^^orous 

 long-lived shoots, often producing merchantablu tnM\s. 



AA. LVS. SrJdo),! or )}<'f at a]] dhuor/dnr. )tnt .?- ra lllcrd , 

 oftcit inibrlc/lc: hud.-< n<ik.d. 



gigant§a, Decne. [S. WeJh'ngtdnin , Seemann}. ('.\li- 

 FOKXiA Big Tree. Fig. 2339. Tree, 200-350 ft. hi-h, 

 with heavy massive trunks, sometimes 20-30 ft. in 

 diam. and often clear of branches for over 150 ft. : hark 

 of old trees from 1-2 ft. thick; branchlets hardly ilis- 

 tichously arranged, pendulous, cord-like, formini; rather 

 tangled masses: Ivs. ^s to ^4 in. and sometinnvs ^o in. 

 long on stout shoots, and usually closely apprcsscil and 

 scale-like: cone ovate-oblong, 2-;i"'c; in. lonic. 1-2^4 in. 

 thick, openina: only slightly, retnininir its original f(.rni 

 Hvrn when dry. an/l i^ersistent. Wusrcrn slop..-s of Sierra 

 Nevada. S.S. 10:5::;0. AKXOLr. V. STrBENKAUCi-i. 



Taxodium was the group in which Srqnoia seitiper- 

 virois was at first placed by Lanihert from the sjieci- 

 mens obtained by Menzies in 1795, and it remained 

 there until 1S4T, when Endlicher estaLdished Sequoia 

 for its reception. The type-species of Taxodium is 7\ 

 distichinn, the deciduous cyprfss. Like nearly all lax- 

 ads, the deciduous cypress has a very ancient relation- 

 ship among fossil trees; it once .grew on a large part of 

 western Europe and portions of England. Forms of 

 Sequoia, whose ancient history constitutes one of the 

 most interesting chapters in fossil botany, once grew in 

 immense forests in Europe, Asia and North America. 

 The first fossil remains occur in the lower chalk-forma- 

 tions and increase in extent to the tertiary strata, in 

 which they are numerous. In niiocene times, fossil Se- 

 quoias extended "from the Hebrides to the Steppe of 

 Kirghis." Asa Gray aud others have told the story of 

 the rise and fall of this great and strong family of coni- 

 fers, once as powerful as any tree-group in tlie world, 



