giant sequoias
Giant sequoia trees (Sequoiadendron giganteum) in Sequoia National Park, California.
tree
plant
- Key People:
- Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin
- On the Web:
- PNAS - The number of tree species on Earth (Dec. 12, 2024)
tree, woody plant that regularly renews its growth (perennial). Most plants classified as trees have a single self-supporting trunk containing woody tissues, and in most species the trunk produces secondary limbs, called branches. To many, the word tree evokes images of such ancient, powerful, and majestic structures as oaks and sequoias, the latter being among the most massive and longest-living organisms in the world. Although the majority of Earth’s terrestrial biomass is represented by trees, the fundamental importance of these seemingly ubiquitous plants for the very existence and diversity of life on Earth is perhaps not fully appreciated. The biosphere ...(100 of 12639 words)