Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu & W.C. Cheng

Family: Cupressaceae

Common name: Dawn redwood

A deciduous tree that grows naturally in China, it reaches an average height of 35-40 meters and has bright green leaves that are 2-3 cm long. The male cones are elongated and measure 5-6 mm, while the female cones are spherical or ovoid and enlarge at maturity, reaching a diameter of 1.5-2.5 cm.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides is the only living species in the genus Metasequoia and was thought to be extinct until a group of researchers rediscovered a natural population of approximately 100 specimens in the Sichuan-Hubei region of China in the mid-1940s. This plant prefers soils rich in water.

The word Metasequoia refers to the resemblance between this plant and species in genus Sequoia, while the epithet glyptostroboides emphasizes its similarity to species of Glyptostrobus, another genus of conifers.