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Project Noah Nature School
Taxodium sp.
Cypresses growing in water have a characteristic growth trait called cypress knees. These are woody projections (pneumatophores) sent above the water from the roots. The most familiar species in the genus is the Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), native to much of the southeastern United States, from Delaware to Texas, especially Louisiana and inland up the Mississippi River to southern Indiana. The Pond Cypress occurs within the range of Bald Cypress, but only on the southeastern coastal plain from North Carolina to Louisiana. I'm not sure which of these species this specimen is as these trees had lost their leaves/needles. Interestingly, although cypress trees are conifers they are only "semi-evergreen" and will go dormant over cold periods.
Cypress trees occur in still blackwater rivers, ponds and swamps with or without silt-rich flood deposits.
Spotted at Swan Lake near Berry College in Rome, GA
Spotted on Jan 4, 2014
Submitted on Feb 4, 2014
3 Comments
That would be a good reason too! I've always heard they are called that because when wading through a swamp you always hit your knees on them and it hurts really badly haha (I have lots of experience with this!)
I assume it because they kind of look like the roots are bending up like a person folds their knees when they sit down?? (Personally, I always thought they looked like little gnomes or trolls or elves!)
You know why they are called cypress knees, right??