Albino redwood
An 'albino'[lower-alpha 1] redwood is a redwood tree which is unable to produce chlorophyll, so has white needles instead of the normal green. To survive, it must join its roots to the roots of a normal redwood, usually the parent tree from whose base it has sprouted, from which it obtains nutrition as a parasite.[1][2][3] Only about 60 examples are known.[2] These can be found in both Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and Humboldt Redwoods State Park, with eight trees in the first. However, the exact locations are not publicized to protect the rare trees.[4] They reach a maximum height of about 20 m (66 ft).[1] Other conifers lack the ability to graft their roots, so 'albino' mutants of other species do not survive to become sizable trees.[1]
The trees were important to Native Americans and were recorded in their legends. For example, the Pomo people used them in their cleansing ceremonies.[5]
Ten cases are known of chimeric redwoods that have a mosaic of albino and normal tissues.[6] Only a single chimeric redwood is known to produce cones. Formerly threatened by the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit rail development,[7] it has since been replanted.[8]
-
Humboldt Redwoods 'albino'.jpg
An 'albino' redwood in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, northern California
-
Humboldt Redwoods 'albino' 2.jpg
-
Albino Redwood closeup.jpg
-
Albino Redwood Tree.jpg
Notes
- ↑ Albinism is defined in various ways. See Albinism in biology
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.nl:Albinisme#Bij planten
