Pinophyta: Metasequoia occidentalis (Cornell U.)

Description

Fossil leafy branchlets of the Dawn Redwood *Metasequoia occidentalis* from the Paleocene of Alberta, preserved as carbonizations. The only living species of *Metasequoia*, *M. glyptostroboides*, is native to China. Specimen is from the Cornell University Paleobotanical Collection (CUPC), Ithaca, New York (#2081). Length of specimen is approximately 16 cm. Model by Emily Hauf.