h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Posting to move this over Brunel since I just lost my text in Pliny.

Metasequoia still survives in Sichuan-Hubei province, China.

For images, since I'm still having some problems posting links with this new tablet, I'd suggest a Google search, >>> metasequoia "Chinese", images. >>>.

Chinese and California ephedra (the first used medicinally, for allergies, the second, providing merely an excellent tea-like beverage* with no known medicinal effects), though one wouldn't think so at first glance given the diminutive size of the two shrubs and other differences of form, are among the closest living relatives of the sequoia family, gymnosperms whose tiny cones are structured almost identically to those of the sequoia family.

I've heard distant rumors, so far unconfirmed that members of the family in the big trees group are also to be found in southern Chile.




*To brew California ephedra for tea, cut the 'stems' into short sections about the same length as their diameters with shears to expose the water soluable, amber colored pith, add one teaspoon per cup to boiling water, boil till its developed an amber color (30-60 seconds), strain, sweeten to taste.