<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Binomial name </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Taxodium distichum (L .) Rich . </Td> </Tr> <P> Taxodium distichum (bald cypress, cypress, southern - cypress, white - cypress, tidewater red - cypress, Gulf - cypress, red - cypress, or swamp cypress) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae that grows on saturated and seasonally inundated soils in the lowlands of the Southeastern and Gulf Coastal Plains of the United States . </P> <P> Taxodium distichum is a large, slow - growing, and long - lived tree . It typically grows to heights of 30--35 m (100--120 ft) and to a trunk diameter of 1--2 m (3--6 ft). The main trunks are surrounded by cypress knees . The bark is grayish brown to reddish brown, thin, and fibrous with a stringy texture; it has a vertically interwoven pattern of shallow ridges and narrow furrows . The leaves are alternate and linear, with flat blades borne on the twigs that are spirally arranged on the stems, but twisted at the base to lie in two horizontal ranks, 1--2 cm (⁄--⁄ in) long and 1--2 mm (⁄--⁄ in) broad . Unlike most other species in the family Cupressaceae, it is deciduous, i.e., it loses its leaves in winter, hence the appellation of "bald". It is monoecious - has both staminate flowers and carpellate flowers on every plant, with male and female flowers forming on slender, tassel - like structures near the edge of branchlets . The male and female strobili are produced from buds formed in late autumn, with pollination in early winter, and mature in about 12 months . The seed cones are green and mature to grayish brown, globular, and 2.0--3.5 cm (⁄--1 ⁄ in) in diameter . They have from 20 to 30 spirally arranged, four - sided scales, each bearing one, two, or rarely three triangular seeds . Around 20 - 40 seeds are in each cone . The cones disintegrate at maturity to release the large seeds . The seeds are 5--10 mm (⁄--⁄ in) long, the largest of any species of Cupressaceae, and are produced every year, with heavy crops every 3--5 years . The seedlings have three to 9, but usually six, cotyledons each . </P>

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