A member of the pine family, Sequoia sempervirens, is the tallest tree in the Americas, attaining a height of 350 ft (107 m) and a diameter of 27 ft (8.2 m). Its range is limited to a strip along the Pacific Coast about 35 mi (55 km) wide and 500 mi (800 km) long, extending from southwest Oregon to about 100 mi (160 km) south of San Francisco, California. The leaves are evergreen, sharply pointed, small (0.3–1 in. or 8–25 mm long), distichous (disposed in two vertical rows) on short branches, and scalelike on the main stem (see illus.). The cones are egg-shaped, about 1 in. (25 mm) long and 0.5 in. (13 mm) broad. The bark is a dull red-brown, on old trees sometimes 1 ft (0.3 m) thick, densely fibrous, and highly resistant to fire. The tree gets its common name from the colour of the bark as well as that of the heartwood. The wood is moderately light in weight and strength and low in warp and shrinkage, and is not difficult to work. The heartwood is especially valuable, being highly resistant to decay. The wood holds paint well. It is used for bridge timbers, tanks, flumes, silos, posts, shingles, paneling, doors, caskets, furniture, siding, and many other building purposes.