Taxodium mucronatum, also known as Montezuma Cypress, Sabino, Ahuehuete
Taxodium mucronatum, also known as Montezuma Cypress, Sabino, Ahuehuete (name derived from the Nahuatl language
Nahuatl language
Nahuatl is a group of related languages and dialects of the Nahuan branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family.Collectively they are spoken by an estimated Nahua peoples, most of whom live in Central Mexico....
), is a species of Taxodium
Taxodium
Taxodium is a genus of one to three species of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. Within the family, Taxodium is most closely related to Glyptostrobus and Cryptomeria ....
native to much of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
(south to the highlands of southern Mexico), and also southernmost Texas
Texas
Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
, USA (just entering the state in the lower Rio Grande
Rio Grande
For the railroad often known as the Rio Grande, see Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.The Rio Grande River in the United States, known as the R?o Bravo in Mexico, is a river, long, is the fourth longest river system in the United States and serves as a natural boundary along the border between the U.S....
valley). It occurs from 300 to 2500 m, in Mexico mainly in highlands at 1600 and 2300 m altitude. It is a large evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant having leaf all year round. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage for part of the year....
or semi-evergreen tree
TREE
TREE was a Boston hardcore punk band formed in the summer of 1990. They were active in the Boston music scene until disbanding in 2002....
growing to 40 m tall and with a trunk of 1-3 m diameter (occasionally much more; see below). The leaves
Leaf
In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
are spirally arranged but twisted at the base to lie in two horizontal ranks, 1-2 cm long and 1-2 mm broad. The cones
Conifer cone
A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the plant sexuality structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds....
are ovoid, 1.5-2.5 cm long and 1-2 cm broad.
Montezuma Cypress is primarily a riparian tree, growing along upland riversides, not in swamps or lakes. Unlike Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum
Taxodium distichum is a species of Pinophyta native to the southeastern United States....
and Pond Cypress
Taxodium ascendens
Taxodium ascendens, also known as Pond Cypress, is a species of Taxodium native to the Southeastern United States United States, from coastal North Carolina to southeastern Louisiana....
, Montezuma Cypress does not produce cypress knees from the root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial root or aerating ....
s. Trees from the Mexican highlands achieve a notable stoutness. They are very drought-tolerant and fast-growing which has led to them being frequently cultivated there in park
Park
A park is a Environmental protection, in its natural or semi-natural state or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment....
s and garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials....
s. They favor climates that are rainy throughout the year or at least with high summer rainfall.
One specimen, the Ãrbol del Tule
Ãrbol del Tule
El ?rbol del Tule is a tree located in the church grounds in the town center of Santa Mar?a del Tule in the States of Mexico of Oaxaca, approximately 9 km east of the city of Oaxaca, Oaxaca on the road to Mitla....
in Santa MarÃa del Tule, Oaxaca
Oaxaca
The Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca }} is one of the 31 Mexican state of Mexico, located in the southern part of the country, west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec....
, Mexico, is the stoutest tree in the world with a diameter of 11.42 m. Several other specimens from 3-6 m diameter are known.
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