Tasequa

Endangered The Dawn Redwood is a fast-growing, endangered deciduous conifer. It is the sole living species of the genus Metasequoia, one of three genera in the subfamily Sequoioideae of the family Cupressaceae. It now survives in the wild only in wet lower slopes and montane river and stream valleys in the border region of Hubei and Hunan provinces and Chongqing municipality in south-central China. Although the shortest of the redwoods, it can grow to 167 ft in height. Since its discovery, the dawn redwood has become something of a national point of pride, and it is protected under Chinese law and also planted widely. However, it is still listed as endangered in the wild. Cutting of trees or branches is illegal, but the demand for seedlings drives cone collection to the point that natural reproduction is no longer occurring in the dawn redwood forest. In addition, the landscape has been highly modified by human use, and a 1980 expedition found that the habitat has significantly degraded since the tree's discovery. Most of the other vegetation has been cut, and most of the area is no longer suitable ground for seedlings. The species will continue to live in yards, parks and on roadsides all over China (and other parts of the world where it has been planted as an ornamental), but the M. glyptostroboides forest ecosystem could disappear when its mature trees die.

Fun Fact: Although it was commonly known from the fossil record from across the northern hemisphere, the Dawn Redwood was considered extinct until the mid-twentieth century. When the genus Metasequoia was first described in 1941, it was from Mesozoic Era fossils, none of which were less than 150 million years old. While studying fossil samples of the family Cupressaceae, Dr. Shigeru Miki from Kyoto University identified a divergent leaf form. He realized he had discovered a new genus, which he named Metasequoia, meaning "like a sequoia"

Tasequa is our clan’s liaison to all other Flights, and the dragon who most often acts as a welcoming committee for all visitors to Owl Wood. Although she is named for the Dawn Redwood, she’s got a cheerful, bouncy air more reminiscent of a squirrel than a majestic, ancient tree. She is always there with a ready smile, her apparel rustling in the wind. She keeps detailed notes of all visitors, asking each of them to sign her "guestbook," and always makes sure they have refreshments and a place to rest after their travels.

She’s a bit of a musician, as well, and often plays her small drum to accompany Electra’s popular ballads. When there are no visitors to be entertained, Tasequa spends most of her time romping through the forest with her dragon and animal friends. She's often found in the company of Alcinus, Iliaris and Trivitta, and is fond of visiting Dido in the butterfly garden.