prove useful as a substitute for the European Larch, whose 
value in many districts is impaired by its susceptibility to 
the attacks of Peziza Willkommii. The rate of growth 
indicated above may not compare favourably with that of the 
average Kuropean Larch in British plantations, but when the 
dryness and poorness of the soil in which the trees grow are 
taken into account, the figures afford a not unfavourable 
augury for the success of the species as a forest tree in Britain. 
The trees at Kew fruit freely, but the cones have never yet 
been found to contain fertile seed. A tree in the garden of 
Mr. P. L. de Vilmorin at Verriéres-le-Buisson, near Paris, 
also cones freely but has never yet given good seed. Larix 
occidentalis does not appear to be so hardy as L. europaea. 
According to Mr. Hesse it has proved too tender to be worth 
growing at Weenen in north-west Hanover, where the 
European Larch succeeds. It is, however, quite hardy at 
Kew. 
Drscription.— Tree, often reaching 250 ft. in height, 
with a stem 6-8 ft. thick, and with a small narrow- 
pyramidal head ; in British collections the largest examples 
as yet hardly exceed 36 ft. in height; branches dimorphic, 
the abbreviated branchlets many-leaved. Leaves very 
narrow, quadrangular, 2-suleate on both faces, acutely and 
widely keeled beneath, those of the abbreviated branchlets 
the longer and sometimes, as here shown, 2-23 in., but 
often only 14-14 in. long, 1} lin. wide; those of the 
sterile twigs more rigid and }-% lin. wide, all usually 
2-canaliculate. Male flowers in yellow, subsessile, subglobose 
clusters, about 2? in. across, surrounded by broad reddish 
floccose-ciliate scales or bracts. Female flowers in ovoid- 
oblong cones about # in. long. Carpels about 2 in. long, 
recurved, acute, the tips long, green. Scales bearing ovules 
nearly orbicular, 1-14 lin. wide. Ripe cones subsessile, 
suberect, oblong-cylindric, rather variable in size, the largest 
up to 1} in. long, brown; carpels tailed longer than the 
seed-bearing scales. Seeds obliquely winged, 4-2 in. long. 
a 
o 
Fig. 1, a barren shoot; 2, a branch bearing male flowers; a branch bearing 
female flowers; 4, a branch bearing mature cones; 5,a stamen; 6 and 7, upper 
and lower views of young carpel and ovuliferous scale; lower view of mature 
prt ~~ seminiferous scale; 9, seed :—Figs. 1-4 natural size; the rest 
enlarged, 
