SOUTH CAROLINA -USA
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Taxodium distichum is the scientific name for the bald cypress. It grows mainly in swamps of the southeastern United States. Sometimes it reaches a height of 45 m (150 ft). It's called a BALD cypress because unlike other cypress trees it sheds its needles in winter. It can live a really long time and some trees are 1,200 years old. When it stands in water, unique structures called "knees" (conical outgrowths of lateral roots) develop and usually project above the water. Bald cypress wood is decay-resistant and is valued for construction and siding. It is a member of the redwood family, Taxodiaceae.
The rectilinear reflecting pools of the Taj Mahal in India are lined with cypresses. In India cypresses are a symbol of death.
