Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Albino Redwood, 1 by Equilibrium

Equilibrium wrote:
I received this in one of those e-mails that goes around and around and around-

Quoting: These photos are of a redwood tree in the California redwood forest. The exact location is a secret as we came upon this tree by fluke. We were asked and promised not to disclose the location as people have taken cuttings from this tree. The tree is incapable of photosynthesis and feeds off a host tree for nutrients, explaining the pure white needles. (The second photo shows the host with the mutant redwood.)

There are few trees of this type in existence in the redwood family. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience.

--Neil

I looked online and found this reference-
http://www.sempervirens.org/doctor.htm

Quoting: I recently found an albino (white) redwood tree in the forest. How common is it?

Albino redwoods are not very common. But in my own hikes through the Santa Cruz Mountains, I've run across a dozen or so of them. Most likely, the albinism is caused by a mutation in one of the genes involved in the production of chlorophyll. The failure to synthesize chlorophyll sometimes results in an off-white, slightly yellowish tissue. In other cases, the tissue is snow white. As far as I know, there are no other conifers that have this albino trait. With your discovery, you are now a trusted member of the "albino redwood club," which means you need to keep the location of the tree a secret. I'm always afraid that someone will want to chop one down for a Christmas tree!

Below is one of the photos that accompanied the e-mail I received, it is not my photo-