coast redwood

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Coastal Redwood
• California Redwood
• Coast Redwood
• Redwood

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Steinhauera sempervirens
• Sequoia sempervirens f. glauca
• Sequoia sempervirens f. adpressa
• Sequoia sempervirens var. nana-pendula
• Sequoia sempervirens pendula
• Sequoia sempervirens var. adpressa
• Sequoia sempervirens var. albospica
• Condylocarpus sempervirens
• Sequoia pyramidata
• Sequoia religiosa
• Sequoia taxifolia
• Gigantabies taxifolia
• Schubertia sempervirens
• Sequoia sempervirens var. glauca
• Sequoia sempervirens f. pendula
• Taxodium sempervirens
• Sequoia sempervirens var. pendula
• Taxodium nutkaense

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. Following the subclass Pinidae and order Pinales, it is a member of the family Cupressaceae. Ultimately, its scientific classification is defined by the genus Sequoiia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a highly fragmented geographical distribution across several distinct regions. In Northern Europe, its presence can be identified within Great Britain. Moving toward Southwestern Europe, it is found in both the Baleares and France. Its range extends into Southeastern Europe, specifically within Italy. Finally, the species is also located in the Northwestern U.S.A., specifically in Oregon.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Sequoia sempervirens is characterized by a preference for lowland habitats, where it thrives in environments that provide the necessary moisture and fog drip essential for its massive growth. While it is primarily found in coastal regions, its elevational range reaches a mean of 2475 m AMSL, allowing it to occupy a diverse vertical niche within its ecological landscape. This species relies on specific climatic conditions, particularly the heavy maritime fog that mitigates summer droughts and provides a consistent water source to its canopy.

Elevational range mean:

2475 m AMSL

Habitat :

Lowland

Life history

The life history of Sequoia sempervirens is characterized by a long-lived perennial lifecycle, allowing it to dominate forest ecosystems for centuries. As a phanerophyte, its regenerative buds are located high above the ground on woody branches, a structural adaptation that facilitates its massive vertical growth. Throughout its existence, the plant maintains an evergreen deciduousness pattern, ensuring that its photosynthetic tissues remain functional year-round to support its extensive metabolic needs. This combination of a permanent, long-term lifecycle and a robust phanerophyte life form enables the species to maintain a consistent presence in its habitat across vast temporal scales.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Sequoia sempervirens is characterized by its massive growth form as a woody tree. It is a self-supporting organism that does not function as a climber, liana, or vine, and it remains an independent species rather than acting as a parasite. As a terrestrial plant, it does not exhibit aquatic or semiaquatic tendencies, nor does it grow as an epiphyte. This species is noted for its extraordinary stature, with a mean plant height of approximately 76 m and the capacity to reach a maximum height of up to 100 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

100 m

Plant height mean:

76 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Sequoia sempervirens is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic approach to carbon fixation and energy production. The foliage exhibits highly specialized dimensions, with leaf width remaining consistently minimal at a mean, minimum, and maximum value of 0.1 cm. In terms of longitudinal growth, the leaves reach a maximum length of 1.9 cm. Furthermore, this species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on external soil nutrient availability to support its complex physiological processes and massive structural development.

Leaf length max:

1.9 cm

Leaf width mean:

0.1 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Sequoia sempervirens is characterized by a primarily sexual process, as asexual reproduction is absent. The species is monoecious, bearing both male and female reproductive structures on the same individual. Pollination is driven by an abiotic syndrome, specifically utilizing wind to facilitate the transfer of pollen. The reproductive output is contained within fruits that possess an average length and width of 2.2 cm. Within these fruits, the seeds exhibit a consistent length of 5.5 mm (with both minimum and maximum values recorded at this measurement). The seed mass is highly variable, ranging from a minimum of 0.002657 g to a maximum of 0.0105 g, with a mean seed mass of approximately 0.0048429165 g. Following maturation, the plant employs an anemochorous dispersal syndrome, relying on wind to transport its seeds away from the parent tree.

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Fruit length mean:

2.2 cm

Fruit width mean:

2.2 cm

Pollination syndrome :

wind

Pollination syndrome :

abiotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

monoecious

Seed length mean:

5.5 mm

Seed mass max:

0.0105 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0048429165 g

Seed mass min:

0.002657 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Sequoia sempervirens has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include METHYL ANGOLENSATE.

METHYL ANGOLENSATE

1. International journal of biomedical science : IJBS