Content
- Sequoia cones - small, green natural wonders
- Structure of the redwood pin
- Propagation by the cones
- Construction of a sequoia cones
- Pollination and seed shedding
- Sequoia cones in the focus of research
A sequoia carries several tau cones per year
Sequoia cones - small, green natural wonders
Between the needles of the sequoia tree hide small, olive-green cones. For propagation, they are especially valuable because they contain the seeds. Moreover, they serve as food for wild animals and have long since aroused the interest of researchers.
Structure of the redwood pin
The cone of a sequoia tree has the following characteristics:
Propagation by the cones
The cones of a redwood tree hold the seeds with which it propagates. In order to better understand the seed delivery of a redwood cone, it makes sense to first consider its structure.
Construction of a sequoia cones
A sequoia cones has about 25 cone scales. These are spirally arranged and carry the ovules, which in turn arrange themselves in two rows. They have the task of forming pollination droplets that increase Sequoiadendron giganteum (see below). These pollination drops hide deep inside the pin.
Pollination and seed shedding
The sequoia has two natural pollination helpers:
For one thing, the cones catch pollen that the wind carries with them. If these hit the pollination drops inside the pin, a fertilization takes place.
Likewise, the Douglas squirrel, which serves the cones as food, carries the seeds from tree to tree.
In addition, Sequoiadendron giganteum is one of the monoecious plants. This means that the tree has both male and female flowers, so it can fertilize itself.
At high temperatures, the pins dry out. This causes the ovules to open and release the germ. Especially forest fires, which are not uncommon in West America, the home of the sequoia, call this process forth. In this case, the still immature, green cones give their seeds.
Contrary to what you might suspect, the fire has a very positive effect on the development of sequoia. While the thick bark surrounding the trunk protectively, the fires make the soil arable and provide him with enough light through the death of neighboring plants. This creates the best conditions for the germination of the discarded seeds.
Sequoia cones in the focus of research
Scientists are harvesting their cones from the treetops in order to artificially increase the redwood stands. Then the mostly immature tree fruits are heated up so that they open and release the seed. On the one hand, the seeds are used for experimental purposes to gain more knowledge about the giant tree, on the other hand, they are sold or sold at nurseries so that you too can soon enjoy your own redwood in your garden.