Bald cypress: A large gymnosperm

Among the gymnosperms can be found the great bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). It possesses light green deciduous leaves and grows to approximately 150 feet in height. The trunk is several feet in diameter. While not the largest gymnosperm, it is still representative of many that have once been dominant woody land plants.

It is distinctive in having unbranched columnar "knees" produced in swampy areas. Although its leaves bear a resemblance to those of yew, it is actually a member of the redwood family (Taxodiaceae).