Cypress Knees in Congaree National Park
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Congaree National Park, SC has one of the tallest, temperate, deciduous forests in the world, and some of the tallest trees are the Cypress. These magnificent specimens have "knees" around their bases. It is undetermined what purpose the knees serve, but they may help provide air during flooding, which occurs routinely, or they may provide additional anchoring over the root system. Or maybe both. Wise Lake is seen in the background. Imaged in July 2011.