TAXODIACEAE

16 species in 10 genera are found in eastern Asia, Tasmania and North America.

[Summary yet to be added]

Sequoia

This genus is found in California.

Sequoiadendron

Is represented by one species in California.

Sequoia sempervirens

California Redwood, Sequoia

Oliver (1902) described coryzal symptoms in men sawing and chipping sequoia wood. They complained of running at the nose, sneezing, coughing, laboured breathing, oppression at the pit of the stomach and smarting in the eyes and were noted to have tachycardia. The symptoms were worst on the first exposure and lasted about 24 hours but tolerance later developed except in asthma subjects. Cabinet-makers developed similar symptoms (MacPherson 1925). Cohen et al. (1967) described a case of pneumonitis (sequoiosis) with circulating antibodies to redwood sawdust (or possibly to an associated fungus) in a sawmill worker.

Inhalation of fungi of red wood sawdust can produce sequoiosis, a form of allergic alveolitis (Morgan and Seaton 1975).

References

• Cohen, H.I., Merigan, T.C., Kosek, J.C. et al. (1967) Sequoiosis: a granulomatous pneumonitis associated with redwood sawdust inhalation. Am. J. Med. 43: 785.
• MacPherson, J. (1925) Dermatitis caused by Queensland maple. Med. J. Australia. 2: 542.
• Morgan. W.K.C. and Seaton, A. (1975) Occupational Lung Diseases. Philadelphia, Saunders.
• Oliver, T. (1902) Dangerous Trades. Chap. 59. London. J. Murray.

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