Ahuehuete

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Ahuehuete

 

(Taxodium mucronatum), a tall half-evergreen coniferous tree of the family Taxodiaceae; it is also known as the Montezuma cypress. The tree reaches a height of 50 m. There are perennial shoots, with spirally arranged scales, and lateral shoots, which fall off in the second year and have scales arranged in two rows. The round or ovate cones are about 2.5 cm across. The ahuehuete grows in the mountains of Mexico. Individual trees may reach a diameter of 16 m and live 2,000 years or longer. The tree is sensitive to cold temperatures and is rarely cultivated.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.