Metasequoia

Japanese: メタセコイア - めたせこいあ

A deciduous tall tree of the family Cupressaceae (classification based on molecular phylogeny: Cupressaceae). Its Japanese name is Akebonosugi, and its Chinese name is Mizusugi. The trunk is upright, and the larger ones can reach a height of 35 meters and a diameter of 2 to 3 meters. The crown is conical, and the bark is reddish brown and shallowly lobed. The branches are hairless. The leaves are arranged in two opposite rows, linear, 0.8 to 3 cm long and 1 to 2 cm wide, and turn orange-reddish brown in autumn. The twigs fall with the leaves. It is monoecious. It blooms in February and March, and the male flowers are brown, axillary or terminal, form a long drooping raceme or panicle. The female flowers are elongated and slender, and grow singly at the ends of the branches. The fruits are horn-shaped and spherical, 1.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter. The fruit scales are arranged in a cruciform pattern. The seeds are obovate and surrounded by wings, and mature around October. They grow well in slightly humid, well-drained, fertile soil. The wood is white and is used for construction, tools, firewood, and charcoal, and is also planted in gardens and parks. Although it is called Sequoia, it is classified as a different genus from the Sequoia genus.

Since the Cretaceous Period of the Mesozoic era, and especially during the Tertiary Period of the Cenozoic era, it was widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It also survived in Japan until the early Quaternary Period. The extant species became famous as an example of a "living fossil" (relict species).

[Yayoi Hayashi, June 19, 2018]

Cultural history

The discovery was dramatic. In 1943, Chinese forestry official Wang Zhan, who was taking part in a forest resource survey, came across an unknown tree that was believed to be sacred at the shrine of Mōdao in Hubei Province, but was unable to identify it. The following year, he collected flowers and fruits and sent them to Hu Xiansu (1894-1968), president of the Chinese Botanical Society, in Beijing. Hu identified the tree as a member of the Metasequoia genus, which had been named in 1941 by Japanese botanist Shigeru Miki (1901-1974) from a fossil, and announced his findings in 1946. In January 1948, seeds arrived in the United States, and in March R.W. Chaney (1890-1971) of the University of California visited the area and collected samples, but the Chinese Civil War closed the area to visitors. It was first introduced to Japan in 1948 (Showa 23), when seeds sent by Harvard University botanist ED Merrill (1876-1956) germinated in 1949. Also in 1949, Cheney entrusted some to Fukuda Misao of the Konko sect, who presented them to the emperor and planted them in the Imperial Palace. In 1950, Cheney sent 100 seedlings, which were distributed throughout the country and spread by propagating through cuttings.

[Hiroshi Yuasa June 19, 2018]

[Reference] | Relict species

Metasequoia
A deciduous tall tree that is often planted in parks. Its crown is conical and can reach a height of 35m. Its Japanese name is Akebonosugi. ©Seishohmaru ">

Metasequoia

Metasequoia leaves
They grow in two opposite rows and are linear. They turn orange-reddish brown in autumn and the twigs fall off with the leaves. ©Seishohmaru ">

Metasequoia leaves

Cedar, metasequoia (tree form)
©Junzo Fujishima ">

Cedar, metasequoia (tree form)

Metasequoia oxidentalis (cone)
(Newbery) Chaney Cenozoic Paleogene Late Eocene to Early Oligocene Specimen height approx. 12cm Found in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture © Photo courtesy of the Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (GSJ F7561)

Metasequoia oxidentalis (cone plant)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

スギ科（分子系統に基づく分類：ヒノキ科）の落葉高木。和名はアケボノスギという。また中国名は水杉。樹幹は直立し、大きいものは高さ35メートル、径2～3メートルに達する。樹冠は円錐(えんすい)形になり、樹皮は赤褐色で浅く縦裂する。枝は毛がない。葉は2列対生し、線形で、長さ0.8～3センチメートル、幅1～2センチメートル、秋に橙赤褐色(とうせきかっしょく)になる。小枝は葉とともに落ちる。雌雄同株。2～3月に開花し、雄花は褐色で腋生(えきせい)または頂生し、総状または円錐花序をなし、長く垂れ下がる。雌花は細長く、枝先に単生する。果実は角状球形で、径1.5～2.5センチメートル。果鱗(かりん)は十字形対生をなす。種子は倒卵形で翼に包まれ、10月ころ成熟する。やや湿気のある排水のよい肥沃(ひよく)地でよく育つ。材は白色で、建築、器具、薪炭などに利用し、また、庭園、公園などに植栽する。セコイアの名がついているが、セコイア属Sequoiaとは別属に分類されている。

　中生代白亜紀以降、とくに新生代第三紀の時代には北半球各地に広く分布していた。日本でも第四紀前半まで生存していた。現生種は「生きている化石」（遺存種）の例として有名となった。

［林　弥栄　2018年6月19日］

文化史

発見はドラマチックである。1943年、森林資源調査に加わった中国の林務官王戦(ワンツァン)は、湖北省謀道の祠(ほこら)で神木とされていた未知の樹木と出会うが、同定できず、翌年、採集された花と果実が北京(ペキン)の胡先驌(フーシエンスー)（1894―1968）中国植物学会会長に送られた。胡はこれを、日本の植物学者三木茂（1901―1974）が化石で命名（1941）したメタセコイア属と同定し、1946年に発表した。1948年1月、種子がアメリカに届き、3月にはカリフォルニア大学のチェイニーR. W. Chaney（1890―1971）が自生地を訪れて採集したが、以降は国共内戦で門戸は閉ざされてしまう。日本への渡来は1948年（昭和23）、ハーバード大学の植物学者メリルE. D. Merrill（1876―1956）から送られた種子が1949年に発芽したものが初めてである。また、1949年チェイニーが金光(こんこう)教の福田美亮に託し、天皇に献上、皇居に植えられた。1950年にもチェイニーから100本の苗が届き、全国に配布され、挿木繁殖で広がった。

［湯浅浩史　2018年6月19日］

[参照項目] | 遺存種

メタセコイア

メタセコイアの葉

スギ、メタセコイア〔樹形〕

メタセコイア・オキシデンタリス（球果類…

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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