Family: Cupressaceae
Species: Taxodium distichum (L.) Richard
Common name: Bald cypress, Swamp cypress
Etymology
The name of the genus Taxodium means “similar to the yew”, due to the needle-like leaves arranged in two rows on short twigs similar to those of the yew; the specific epithet distichum derives from the Greek dís (twice) and stíchos (row), meaning “arranged in two rows.”
Description
Taxodium distichum is a deciduous conifer native to the southern United States, where it grows in swampy areas. It can reach up to 40 metres in height. When young, it has a pyramidal shape, but its crown becomes messy and flattened as it matures. In marshy areas, the trunk develops a bell-shaped base (often called an “elephant's foot”) with radical protuberances known as pneumatophores, which emerge at the water level and supply the roots with air. The bark is red-brown.
The needle-like leaves are linear, alternate, narrowly lanceolate, and soft. They are soft green in colour and turn splendidly in autumn, ranging from yellow to orange to rusty brown.
Taxodium distichum is monoecious, bearing separate male and female inflorescences on the same plant. The male flowers are grouped in long, yellow filaments, while the female flowers are small and green, developing into round green cones that become brown and woody when ripe. In autumn, the cone scales open to release the seeds, which are then dispersed by the wind.
Habitat
Native to the southeastern United States.
Properties and Uses
Taxodium distichum is widely used as an ornamental plant, mainly planted near ponds' banks.
Notes and Curiosities
This species grows in humid plains or seasonally flooded areas, in the sandy and silty bends of rivers and streams, and even in marshy soils. Thanks to its respiratory roots, it survives in the absence of oxygen. It was among the first American trees introduced to Europe in 1640.
Many confuse it with Metasequoia glyptostroboides, although several differences can be noted. For instance, if T. distichum grows very close to a stream or lake, it will undoubtedly emit aerial roots, confirming its identification. Furthermore, T. distichum has reddish shoots and smaller, thinner needles with pointed tips. Additionally, while the arrangement of needles on the branches in Metasequoia is the opposite, in Taxodium, it is alternate. The female cones in Metasequoia lack the protuberances or mucrones found on the cones of the bald cypress.
Both species are excellently preserved in the Heller Garden, allowing visitors to test their botanical expertise by identifying these distinctive characteristics.