''Sequoiadendron'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of evergreen trees, with two species, only one of which survives to the present: * ''

Sequoiadendron giganteum ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' (giant sequoia; also known as giant redwood, Sierra redwood, Sierran redwood, California big tree, Wellingtonia or simply big treea nickname also used by John Muir) is the sole living species in the genus '' Sequoiad ...

'', extant, commonly known as wellingtonia, giant redwood and giant sequoia, growing naturally in the Sierra Nevada of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

* † ''

Sequoiadendron chaneyi ''Sequoiadendron chaneyi'' is an extinct species of tree in the Cupressaceae genus ''Sequoiadendron''. Known from Miocene fossils found in Nevada and California, ''S. chaneyi'' is the oldest species of ''Sequoiadendron''. The common use of the na ...

'', extinct, the predecessor of ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'', found mostly in the

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

part of the Tertiary Colorado Plateau until the late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

Fossil record

file:Sequoiadendron chaneyi.jpg, left, up ''

'' foliage fossil, Nevada ''Sequoiadendron'' fossil pollen and macrofossils may have been found as early as the Cretaceous and throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including locations in western

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...

region.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14707792 Endemic flora of California Conifer genera