Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

giant sequoia

 
Dictionary: giant sequoia
Home > Library > Literature & Language > Dictionary

n.
A very tall, coniferous evergreen tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum) native to the high western slopes of the Sierra Nevada in southern California and having a massive trunk and light-colored, reddish wood. Also called big tree, giant redwood.


Search unanswered questions...

Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: big tree
Top
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

Coniferous evergreen (Sequoiadendron giganteum; see conifer) found in scattered groves on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada range of California, U.S. The largest of all trees in bulk, the big tree is distinguished from the coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) by having uniformly scalelike, or awl-shaped, leaves that lie close against the branches, scaleless winter buds, and cones requiring two seasons to mature. The pyramidal tree shape, reddish brown furrowed bark, and drooping branches are common to both genera. The largest specimen (in total bulk) is the General Sherman tree in Sequoia National Park — 101.5 ft (31 m) in circumference at its base, 272.4 ft (83 m) tall, and weighing an estimated 6,167 tons (5,593 metric tons). Because big-tree lumber is more brittle than redwood lumber and thus less desirable, the big tree has been easier to preserve; though some groves have been cut, most of the 70 remaining groves are now protected by state or national forests or parks.

For more information on big tree, visit Britannica.com.

WordNet: big tree
Top
Home > Library > Literature & Language > WordNet
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: extremely lofty evergreen of southern end of western foothills of Sierra Nevada in California; largest living organism
  Synonyms: giant sequoia, Sierra redwood, Sequoiadendron giganteum, Sequoia gigantea, Sequoia Wellingtonia

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more