Three cones, one from each genus in a small conifer family:
First up, and the largest of the three, Sequoiadendron giganteum:
A bit thinner, scrawnier and more open (although I accept the openness is likely down to ripening and dispersal of seeds) cone belongs to Sequoia sempervirens:
And finally, my favourite, and the tiniest of the lot (see the comparative photo of all three) - Metasequoia glyptostroboides:
Not being a proper botanist, I'm not sure what taxonomical rules are in place, what characters are used to distinguish between the three genera. But at least if a mad woman runs up to you when you're in a botanical garden and demands that you guess which sequoioid cone she's holding, you'll be able to correctly answer her question.
First up, and the largest of the three, Sequoiadendron giganteum:
A bit thinner, scrawnier and more open (although I accept the openness is likely down to ripening and dispersal of seeds) cone belongs to Sequoia sempervirens:
And finally, my favourite, and the tiniest of the lot (see the comparative photo of all three) - Metasequoia glyptostroboides:
Not being a proper botanist, I'm not sure what taxonomical rules are in place, what characters are used to distinguish between the three genera. But at least if a mad woman runs up to you when you're in a botanical garden and demands that you guess which sequoioid cone she's holding, you'll be able to correctly answer her question.
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