Sentence:  Below, all their earthward-looking branches are <WSD>sapless</WSD> and shattered, splintered by the weight of many winters' snows; above, they are still green and full of life, but their summits overtop all the deciduous trees around them, and in their companionship with heaven they are alone. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Lacking in sap.