Comparison of Redwood Species
Comparison of Dawn Redwood, Coast Redwood, and Giant Sequoia. From Chaney 1950; Munz 1959; Stebbins 1948. From NPS “The Giant Sequoia of the Sierra Nevada” updated 2007
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) | Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) | Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) | |
---|---|---|---|
Size | Height-to 140 ft | to about 370 ft | to about 310 ft |
Diameter-to 6 ft | to 16 ft | to 35 ft | |
Leaves | Needle-like | two types; needle-like and awl-shaped | awl-shaped |
with small stalk | sessille | sessile | |
deciduous | persistent | persistent | |
Long branchlets | Bear short shoots in opposite pairs | bear short shoots in alternate array | bear short shoots in alternate array |
Short branchlets | Leaves opposite | leaves in spirals | leaves in spirals |
leaves in two rows | leaves in two rows except at tips | leaves in spirals | |
Seed Cones | About 1 inch long | 0.75-1.50 inches long | 2-3 inches long |
deciduous | some persistent but open after first season | persistent and may remain green 20 years | |
scales opposite | scales in spirals | scales in spirals | |
seeds in one row on each scale | seeds in one row on each scale | seeds in two rows on each scale | |
mature in one season | mature in one season | mature in two seasons | |
Pollen Cones (staminate) | scales opposite | scales spiral | scales spiral |
Buds | scaly | scaly | naked |
Chromosomes | 22 per diploid cell | 66 per diploid cell | 22 per diploid cell |