Definition

Noun: 1. A type of coniferous tree: A large, fast-growing, deciduous conifer (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) native to China. It is characterized by flat, bright green leaves that turn color and fall in autumn, and small, round cones. It is the sole living species of its genus and is often called the "dawn redwood."

Usage

• The metasequoia is a popular ornamental tree in parks and large gardens due to its elegant shape and rapid growth.
• Botanists were amazed to find a living metasequoia in China, as it was previously known only from fossil records.
• In autumn, the feathery foliage of the metasequoia turns a beautiful reddish-brown before dropping.

Advanced Usage

• "Living fossil": The metasequoia is frequently described as a living fossil, a term for an organism that has remained virtually unchanged for millions of years and was known from fossils before a living population was discovered.
  • The discovery of the metasequoia was a botanical sensation, a true living fossil found thriving in a remote valley.

Variants and Related Words

• Dawn redwood: The common name for .
  • The dawn redwood in the arboretum has grown over 50 feet tall in just 20 years.
• Metasequoia glyptostroboides: The full scientific binomial name for the species.

Synonyms

• Dawn redwood (common name).

Notes on Different Meanings

• The word metasequoia refers specifically to the living tree species and its genus. It is distinct from the related sequoia (coast redwood) and sequoiadendron (giant sequoia), which are evergreen trees native to North America.

Noun

1. large fast-growing Chinese monoecious tree having flat bright-green deciduous leaves and small globular cones; commonly cultivated in United States as an ornamental; known as a fossil before being discovered in China