OF Ohio 



33 



AMERICAN LARCH 



Latix laricina (Du Roi) Koch 



THE American Larch, also called Tamarack, is a northern 

 tree. It stands out prominently among its associates 

 because it sheds all of its leaves in autumn. 



The leaves are flat, soft, slender and about one inch long. 

 On the twigs of last season's growth they occur singly; on 

 the spurs of older 

 twigs they occur in . 

 clusters of ten or -A\i 

 more. 



The cones arc 

 among the smallest 

 of any American 

 tree. They average 

 two-fifths of an inch 

 in length, bear about 

 12 scales, and often 

 persist for many 

 years. 



The glossy brown 

 twigs are without 

 foliage in winter and 

 covered with numer- 

 ous stubby spurs. 

 The bark on older 

 trunks is reddish- 

 brown and breaks up 

 into small roundish 

 scales. 



The wood is 

 heavy, hard, and 

 durable in contact 

 with the soil. It is 

 used for posts, poles, 

 ties, and in ship 

 building. 



The American Larch is found from Newfoundland south 

 to northern New Jersey and Pennsylvania and west to 

 Minnesota and through British Columbia to Alaska. It oc- 

 curs in swamps and other wet places locally in the northern 

 part of Ohio. It is most common along borders of glacial 

 lakes and swamps in Summit, Portage and Stark counties. It 

 rarely exceeds 50 feet in height and 2 feet in diameter. Wet 

 places are its favorite home. 



The European Larch (Larix decidua Mill.) has been 

 planted rather widely in Ohio. The latter has larger and 

 usually erect cones, stouter and yellower twigs, and longer and 

 more abundant leaves. 



^^i§i 



AMERICAN LARCH 

 One-half natural sixe. 



