Crowsilver sequoia
| Proterosequoia semperignis | |
| |
| Pair of P. semperignis in Point Auir Royal Preserve | |
| Conservation status | |
| |
| Apparently Secure (MUNHC) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnosperms |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Cupressales |
| Family: | Cupressaceae |
| Genus: | Proterosequoia |
| Species: | P. semperignis |
| Binomial name | |
| Proterosequoia semperignis A.Helgason | |
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| P. semperignis range | |
Proterosequoia semperignis, also known as the Crowsilver sequoia or the fireproof redwood, is a redwood coniferous tree, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae. Crowsilver sequoia specimens are some of the most massive trees on Micras. The Crowsilver sequoia occur naturally in Meckelnburgh, Ashinthael and Hurmu, but grow only in groves around the Crowsilver Sea, where a warm humid continental climate provides the tree an ideal mixture of temperature and rainfall.
Description
The Crowsilver sequoia typically reach a height 45–70 m while boasting mature trunk diameters that span 5–7 m. Exceptional specimens have been recorded, towering at 84.3 m in height. Amongst Micras' longest-surviving lifeforms, the eldest documented Crowsilver sequoia is estimated to be approximately 2,200 years.
Human interaction
The timber from fully-grown Crowsilver sequoia is fibrous and fragile, often splintering once the trees are cut down. The sequoia wood lacks the durability required for construction purposes but finds utility as fenceposts and wood pulping. However, extracting the Crowsilver sequoia has been prohibited in certain countries, including Meckelnburgh.
In contrast, the Crowsilver sequoia holds immense appeal as an ornamental tree in both Meckelnburgh, where the tree is a national symbol, and across the world of Micras.
Conservation status
Designated as a species of apparently-secure status by the MUNHC, the Crowsilver sequoia faces encroachment of its habitat by various population centers. These centers include Victoria in Meckelnburgh, Slograde in Ashinthael and Askuhafn in Hurmu. However, the sequoia continue to flourish across an expansive expanse of 4.5 million ha, encompassing the southern Genevelond Peninsula, the Treynor Archipelago and stretches of the Kortanga Coast.
Classification
Other known redwood and sequoia species on Micras include:
- Al-Hamra sequoia—native variously in the Imperial Federation.
- Great Jungle Sequoia—native to The Outer Realms of the Hexarchy on Keltia.
- Polar Sequoia—native to Pacary in Eternia, south of Eura.
The Crowsilver sequoia occur alone in the Proterosequoia genus. However, biological study has yet conclusively linked the relationship of each of these species.
