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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Genetic diversity and differentiation of Taxodium in the south-eastern United States using cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences.

Two taxa of Taxodium, bald cypress and pond cypress, occur in the south-eastern United States. The ranges of these taxa overlap in the south-eastern Coastal Plain, with the range of the latter being more restricted. Although these taxa co-occur throughout a portion of the more expansive range of bald cypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) L. C. Rich), the habitats of the two taxa appear to differ. Consequently, considerable debate has occurred regarding the taxonomic status of pond cypress. Some authors recognize pond cypress as a distinct species (Taxodium ascendens Brongn.), whereas others recognize it as a variety/ecotype (Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium (Nutt.) Croom). In this study, the genetic diversity of these two taxa was investigated using 10 DNA markers based on sequences from cDNA clones of Cryptomeria japonica. Cryptomeria is a monospecific genus native to Japan, and is a close relative of Taxodium. These markers were codominant in Cryptomeria and were presumed to be codominant in Taxodium. DNA was extracted from leaf tissue collected from six populations of bald cypress and seven populations of pond cypress throughout Florida and Georgia. The average heterozygosities of bald cypress and pond cypress were 0.386 (SE 0.040) and 0.380 (SE 0.040), respectively. Most of the genetic variation (91.9%) was found within populations, 4.9% was found between populations and 3.2% between taxa. Results of DNA analysis using cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) in this study did not suggest that pond cypress was a species distinct from bald cypress. Our conclusion is that the two taxa of Taxodium should be given varietal status.

Base Sequence↗

Physiological responses of three deciduous conifers (Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Taxodium distichum and Larix laricina) to continuous light: adaptive implications for the early Tertiary polar summer.

Polar regions were covered with extensive forests during the Cretaceous and early Tertiary, and supported trees comparable in size and productivity to those of present-day temperate forests. With a winter of total or near darkness and a summer of continuous, low-angle illumination, these temperate, high-latitude forests were characterized by a light regime without a contemporary counterpart. Although maximum irradiances were much lower than at mid-latitudes, the 24-h photoperiod provided similar integrated light flux. Taxodium, Larix and Metasequoia, three genera of deciduous conifers that occurred in paleoarctic wet forests, have extant, closely related descendents. However, the contemporary relative abundance of these genera differs greatly from that in the paleoarctic. To provide insight into attributes that favor competitive success in a continuous-light environment, we subjected saplings of these genera to a natural photoperiod or a 24-h photoperiod and measured gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, non-structural carbohydrate concentrations, biomass production and carbon allocation. Exposure to continuous light significantly decreased photosynthetic capacity and quantum efficiency of photosystem II in Taxodium and Larix, but had minimal influence in Metasequoia. In midsummer, foliar starch concentration substantially increased in both Taxodium and Larix saplings grown in continuous light, which may have contributed to end-product down-regulation of photosynthetic capacity. In contrast, Metasequoia allocated photosynthate to continuous production of new foliar biomass. This difference in carbon allocation may have provided Metasequoia with a two fold advantage in the paleoarctic by minimizing depression of photosynthetic capacity and increasing photosynthetic surface.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Genome-wide identification of the Glutathione Peroxidase (GPX) gene family in Taxodium distichum and functional characterization of TdGPX9 in enhancing salt tolerance.

This study systematically identified 10 TdGPX genes in Taxodium distichum, demonstrating that the nucleocytoplasmic-localized TdGPX9 plays a pivotal role in salt stress response. Overexpression of TdGPX9 significantly enhances salt tolerance by strengthening the antioxidant defense system and improving root system plasticity under stress. Taxodium distichum is a premier coniferous species renowned for its exceptional waterlogging and salinity tolerance, serving as a vital forest resource for coastal afforestation and wetland ecological restoration. Within the physiological framework of plant stress resistance, the glutathione peroxidase (GPX) family represents a cornerstone of the antioxidant enzymatic system, playing a critical role in scavenging reactive oxygen species and maintaining cellular redox homeostasis. In this study, 10 TdGPX genes were identified via a comprehensive genome-wide analysis and mapped across eight chromosomes. These genes possess a highly conserved Thioredoxin_like domain, with structural and motif analyses revealing a well-maintained arrangement of conserved motifs within each subgroup. The promoter analysis identified a sophisticated regulatory network enriched with cis-acting elements responsive to light, phytohormones, and abiotic stresses, suggesting their integration into diverse signaling pathways. Expression profiling across various tissues and embryonic developmental stages further highlighted the versatile roles of TdGPX members in plant growth and organogenesis. Notably, qRT-PCR analysis identified the nucleocytoplasmic-localized TdGPX9 as a primary respondent to salinity. Functional validation demonstrated that TdGPX9 overexpression significantly enhances salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis and T. distichum callus by strengthening the antioxidant defense system. Furthermore, TdGPX9 promoted root system plasticity under stress, as evidenced by increased lateral root density. These findings provide a systematic basis for understanding the redox-regulatory mechanisms in baldcypress and offer vital genetic resources for improving forest resilience in coastal wetland ecosystems.

Salt Tolerance↗

Long-Term Growth Enhancement of Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) from Municipal Wastewater Application

/ Tree ring analysis was used to document the long-term effects of municipal wastewater on the growth rate of baldcypress [Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.]. The study site, a swamp in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, has received municipal wastewater for the last 40 years. Growth chronologies from 1920 to 1992 were developed from cross-dated tree core samples taken from treated and control sites with similar size and age classes. Mean diameter increment (DINC) and mean basal area increment (BAI) chronologies were constructed separately for each stand. These chronologies were then summarized by tree and stand into seven nine-year intervals resulting in three pretreatment intervals from 1926 to 1952 and four treatment intervals from 1953 to 1988. Significant differences in growth response between sites showed a consistent pattern of growth enhancement in the treated site coincident with the onset of effluent discharge. The ratio of treated to control baldcypress growth rates (computed from DINC) averaged 0.74 during the pretreatment period and 1.53 during the treatment period. Over the period of study, control DINC decreased from 77 mm to 29 mm/nine-year interval, while treatment DINC increased slightly from 40 mm to 47 mm/nine-year interval. Control BAI did not increase significantly and averaged 192 cm2/nine-year interval. There was a significant increase in treatment BAI from 129 to 333 cm2/nine-year interval over the period of record. These results clearly demonstrate sustained long-term baldcypress growth enhancement throughout 40 years of municipal effluent discharge.KEY WORDS: Taxodium; Tree-ring analysis; Dendroecology; Wetlands; Natural wetland wastewater treatment; Long-term growth enhancement

Journal Article↗

Contrasting patterns of DNA variation in natural populations of two related conifers, Cryptomeria japonica and Taxodium distichum (Cupressaceae sensu lato).

We investigated DNA variation within and between two closely related conifers, Cryptomeria japonica and Taxodium distichum, at nuclear loci encoding ferredoxin, glutamyl-tRNA reductase, lycopene beta cyclase, and phosphoribosylanthranilate transferase. Average nucleotide diversity at silent sites was estimated to be 0.0035 (SE 0.0012) in C. japonica and 0.0058 (SE 0.0006) in T. distichum. One population in C. japonica was differentiated from the others but generally there was not much differentiation among populations or varieties within the two species. However, the two species seemed to differ in frequency spectra of DNA polymorphisms. Excesses of intermediate-frequency variants were found in C. japonica, whereas excesses of both rare and high-frequency variants were found in T. distichum, which suggested different histories of population structures in the two species. Deviations from the standard neutral expectations in DNA polymorphisms were found by applications of neutrality tests. The results show that actions of selection to respective loci seem to differ between the two species, indicating differences of interaction among evolutionary factors.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases↗

Sensitivity of water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) seedlings to manganese enrichment under water-saturated conditions.

In anaerobic soils of wetlands, Mn is highly available to plants because of the decreasing redox potential and pH of flooded soil. When growing adjacent to each another in wetland forests, water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica L.) had 10 times greater leaf manganese concentration than bald cypress (Taxodium distichum [L.] Richard). This interspecific difference was examined over a range of manganese-enriched soil conditions in a greenhouse experiment. Water tupelo and bald cypress seedlings were grown in fertilized potting soil enriched with 0, 40, 80, 160, 240, 320, and 400 mg Mn/L of soil and kept at saturated to slightly flooded conditions. Leaf Mn concentration was greater in water tupelo than bald cypress for all but the highest Mn addition treatment. Growth of water tupelo seedlings was adversely affected in treatments greater than 160 mg Mn/L. Total biomass of water tupelo in the highest Mn treatment was less than 50% of the control. At low levels of added Mn, bald cypress was able to restrict uptake of Mn at the roots with resulting low leaf Mn concentrations. Once that root restriction was exceeded, Mn concentration in bald cypress leaves increased greatly with treatment; that is, the highest treatment was 40 times greater than control (4,603 vs 100 microg/g, respectively), but biomass of bald cypress was unaffected by manganese additions. Bald cypress, a tree that does not naturally accumulate manganese, does so under manganese-enriched conditions and without biomass reduction in contrast to water tupelo, which is severely affected by higher soil Mn concentrations. Thus, bald cypress would be less affected by increased manganese availability in swamps receiving acidic inputs such as acid mine drainage, acid rain, or oxidization of pyritic soils.

Biological Availability↗

[Effects of soil salt and water contents on growth and biomass allocation of Taxodium distichum].

One year old Taxodium distichum seedlings were grown in pots with varied soil water and salt (NaCl) levels (alone and in combination) under greenhouse conditions to determine their effects on the growth and biomass allocation of the seedlings. The results showed that there were significant effects of soil salt and water contents on the relative height growth, relative stem diameter growth, biomass increment and allocation, shoot/root ratio, seedling survival, ratio of branch to stem area, ratio of leaf mass to stem area, and ratio of leaf mass to branch area. According to the biomass increment, relative height growth and relative stem diameter growth, 20 treatments were classified into 3 groups by means of systematic cluster analysis. The first one was the treatments waterlogging, flooding, waterlogging + 0.15% NaCl, flooding + 0.15% NaCl, and waterlogging + 0.3% NaCl, which had a high growth, the second one was the treatments flooding + 0.45% NaCl, flooding + 0.3% NaCl, 75% of field capacity, and 75% of field capacity+ 0.15% NaCl, which had a medium growth, and the last one was the treatments 50% of field capacity, 50% of field capacity + 0.15% NaCl, waterlogging + 0.45% NaCl, 25% of field capacity, 25% of field capacity + 0.15% NaCl, 75% of field capacity + 0.3% NaCl, 75% of field capacity + 0.45% NaCl, 25% of field capacity + 0.3% NaCl, 50% of field capacity + 0.3% NaCl, 50% of field capacity + 0.45% NaCl, and 25% of field capacity + 0.45% NaCl, which had a poor growth.

Biomass↗

Productivity responses of Acer rubrum and Taxodium distichum seedlings to elevated CO2 and flooding.

Elevated levels of atmospheric CO2 are expected to increase photosynthetic rates of C3 tree species, but it is uncertain whether this will result in an increase in wetland seedling productivity. Separate short-term experiments (12 and 17 weeks) were performed on two wetland tree species, Taxodium distichum and Acer rubrum, to determine if elevated CO2 would influence the biomass responses of seedlings to flooding. T. distichum were grown in replicate glasshouses (n = 2) at CO2 concentrations of 350 or 700 ppm. and A. rubrum were grown in growth chambers at CO2 concentrations of 422 or 722 ppm. Both species were grown from seed. The elevated CO2 treatment was crossed with two water table treatments, flooded and non-flooded. Elevated CO2 increased leaf-level photosynthesis, whole-plant photosynthesis, and trunk diameter of T. distichum in both flooding treatments, but did not increase biomass of T. distichum or A. rubrum. Flooding severely reduced biomass, height, and leaf area of both T. distichum and A. rubrum. Our results suggest that the absence of a CO2-induced increase in growth may have been due to an O2 limitation on root production even though there was a relatively deep (approximately 10 cm) aerobic soil surface in the non-flooded treatment.

Atmosphere↗

An rbcL sequence from a Miocene Taxodium (bald cypress).

During the past decade, ancient DNAs from both animals and plants have been successfully extracted and analyzed. Recently, the age of DNA that can be recovered and sequenced was increased manyfold by the amplification and sequencing of a DNA fragment from a Magnolia fossil obtained from the Miocene Clarkia deposit (17-20 million yr old). However, the validity of this report has been questioned based on models predicting that DNA should be completely degraded after 4 million yr. We report here the successful amplification, sequencing, and analysis of a 1320-base-pair portion of the chloroplast gene rbcL from a Miocene Taxodium specimen, also from the Clarkia site. These data not only validate the earlier report of sequence data for a Magnolia species from the same site but also suggest that it may be possible to isolate and sequence DNAs routinely from the Clarkia deposit. The ability to recover and sequence DNAs of such age offers enormous research possibilities in the areas of molecular evolution, biogeography, and systematics.

Base Sequence↗

Interaction of flooding and salinity stress on baldcypress (Taxodium distichum).

Coastal wetlands of the southeastern United States are threatened by increases in flooding and salinity as a result of both natural processes and man-induced hydrologic alterations. Furthermore, global climate change scenarios suggest that, as a consequence of rising sea levels, much larger areas of coastal wetlands may be affected by flooding and salinity in the next 50 to 100 years. In this paper, we review studies designed to improve our ability to predict and ameliorate the impacts of increased flooding and salinity stress on baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.), which is a dominant species of many coastal forested wetlands. Specifically, we review studies on species-level responses to flooding and salinity stress, alone and in combination, we summarize two studies on intraspecific variation in response to flooding and salinity stress, we analyze the physiological mechanisms thought to be responsible for the interaction between flooding and salinity stress, and we discuss the implications for coastal wetland loss and the prospects for developing salt-tolerant lines of baldcypress.

Journal Article↗

Sap-flux-scaled transpiration responses to light, vapor pressure deficit, and leaf area reduction in a flooded Taxodium distichum forest.

We used 20-mm-long, Granier-type sensors to quantify the effects of tree size, azimuth and radial position in the xylem on the spatial variability in xylem sap flux in 64-year-old trees of Taxodium distichum L. Rich. growing in a flooded forest. This information was used to scale flux to the stand level to investigate variations in half-hourly and daily (24-hour) sums of sap flow, transpiration per unit of leaf area, and stand transpiration in relation to vapor pressure deficit (D) and photosynthetically active radiation (Q(o)). Measurements of xylem sap flux density (J(s)) indicated that: (1) J(s) in small diameter trees was 0.70 of that in medium and large diameter trees, but the relationship between stem diameter as a continuous variable and J(s) was not significant; (2) J(s) at 20-40 mm depth in the xylem was 0.40 of that at 0-20 mm depth; and (3) J(s) on the north side of trees was 0.64 of that in directions 120 degrees from the north. Daily transpiration was linearly related to daily daytime mean D, and reached a modest value of 1.3 mm day(-1), reflecting the low leaf area index (LAI = 2.2) of the stand. Because there was no soil water limitation, half-hourly water uptake was nearly linearly related to D at D < 0.6 kPa during both night and day, increasing to saturation during daytime at higher values of D. The positive effect of Q(o) on J(s) was significant, but relatively minor. Thus, a second-order polynomial with D explained 94% of the variation in J(s) and transpiration. An approximately 40% reduction in LAI by a hurricane resulted in decreases of about 18% in J(s) and stand transpiration, indicating partial stomatal compensation.

Journal Article↗

Endophytic taxol-producing fungi from bald cypress, Taxodium distichum.

Pestalotiopsis microspora occurs as a range of strains in bald cypress, Taxodium distichum. The organisms live as endophytes in the bark, phloem and xylem, and isolates show differences in cultural and microscopic characteristics on common laboratory media. Many of these fungi make taxol as determined by the reactivity of partially purified culture extracts with specific monoclonal antibodies against taxol. In the case of one strain of P. microspora (CP-4), taxol was isolated from culture medium and was shown to be identical to authentic taxol by chromatographic and spectroscopic means.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗

Nitrogen Fixation (Acetylene Reduction) Associated with Decaying Leaves of Pond Cypress (Taxodium distichum var. nutans) in a Natural and a Sewage-Enriched Cypress Dome.

Surface litter from a natural and a sewage-enriched cypress dome in north-central Florida showed a pronounced seasonal pattern of nitrogenase (acetylene reduction) activity associated with seasonal leaf fall from deciduous trees in the domes. Samples of peat from cores indicated negligible nitrogenase activity below the surface layer. Integrating the monthly rates of nitrogen fixation (based on the theoretical molar ratio of 3:2 for C(2)H(4)/NH(3)) yielded 0.39 and 0.12 g of N/m per year fixed in the litter of the natural and sewage-enriched domes, respectively. The nitrogen fixed in the first 3 months after leaf fall in the natural dome represented about 14% of the nitrogen increment in the decomposing cypress leaves, but fixation contributed a negligible amount of nitrogen (<1%) to decomposing litter in the sewage-enriched dome.

Journal Article↗

Bald cypress tree (Taxodium distichum) pollen, an allergen.

Fifty-seven nasal and bronchial provocation tests were performed with bald cypress pollen extract (BCE) on 41 subjects. A positive nasal response was elicited in 12 of 17 (71%) subjects with allergic rhinitis and positive BCE skin tests, and in none of 16 control subjects. A positive bronchial challenge was elicited in two of ten extrinsic asthmatics with positive BCE skin tests, and in none of 14 control subjects. BCE-specific IgE was demonstrated by RAST in seven of the 12 (59%) subjects with a positive nasal challenge and in one of the two with a positive bronchial challenge. BC pollen is an aeroallergen.

Adolescent↗

Natural product terpenoids in Eocene and Miocene conifer fossils.

Numerous saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons, but not polar compounds, originating from plants and microorganisms (biomarkers) have been reported in sediments, coals, and petroleum. Here we describe natural product terpenoids found in two fossil conifers, Taxodium balticum (Eocene) and Glyptostrobus oregonensis (Miocene). A similar terpenoid pattern is also observed in extant Taxodium distichum. The preservation of characteristic terpenoids (unaltered natural products) in the fossil conifers supports their systematic assignment to the Cypress family (Cupressaceae sensu lato). The results also show that fossil conifers can contain polar terpenoids, which are valuable markers for (paleo)chemosystematics and phylogeny.

Biological Evolution↗

[Phylogenetic relationships among the genera of Taxodiaceae and Cupressaceae from 28S rDNA sequences].

DNA sequences from 28S rDNA were used to assess relationships between and within traditional Taxodiaceae and Cupressaceae s.s. The MP tree and NJ tree generally are similar to one another. The results show that Taxodiaceae and Cupressaceae s.s. form a monophyletic conifer lineage excluding Sciadopitys. In the Taxodiaceae-Cupressaceae s.s. monophyletic group, the Taxodiaceae is paraphyletic. Taxodium, Glyptostrobus and Cryptomeria forming a clade(Taxodioideae), in which Glyptostrobus and Taxodium are closely related and sister to Cryptomeria; Sequoia, Sequoiadendron and Metasequoia are closely related to each other, forming another clade (Sequoioideae), in which Sequoia and Sequoiadendron are closely related and sister to Metasequoia; the seven genera of Cupressaceae s.s. are found to be closely related to form a monophyletic lineage (Cupressoideae). These results are basically similar to analyses from chloroplast gene data. But the relationships among Taiwania, Sequoioideae, Taxodioideae, and Cupressoideae remain unclear because of the slow evolution rate of 28S rDNA, which might best be answered by sequencing more rapidly evolving nuclear genes.

English Abstract↗