128 LARIX ; OR 



No. 5. Larix leptolepis, Slebold, the Slender-scaled Japan 



Larch. 

 Syn. Larix Japonica, Carriere. 

 „ Abies nodosa (' Fusi-raatu '), Japanese. 

 „ Pinus nummularia (' Kin t'sian soung ')^ Japanese. 

 „ ,, leptolepis, Endlicher. 

 „ J, Larix, Thunherg. 



Leaves, linear, blunt-pointed, in bundles of many together 

 round a central bud, but sometimes singly on the leading shoots 

 and young plants, deciduous, soft, spreading at the points, 

 slightly recurved, and of a beautiful light green ; from three- 

 quarters to one inch and a quarter long. Branches nearly cylin- 

 drical, smooth, yellowish-grey when young, very spreading, 

 horizontal, and in regular whorls ; branchlets, slender, mostly 

 drooping, and thickly covered with bundles of leaves. Cones, 

 ovate, rounded, blunt at the ends ; terminal and numerous on 

 the ends of the small, short branchlets ; remaining on the trees, 

 after the seed is shed, for years, and about the size of those of 

 the Common Larch. Scales, numerous, alternate, thin, flat, im- 

 bricated, upper part rounded, jagged, reflected, undulated, and 

 almost reduced to a thin membrane, of a greyish brown colour, 

 and drawn to a point at the base ; bracteas, lanceolate, acute, 

 very entire, membranaceous, dry, and shorter than the scales. 

 Seeds, almost three-sided, with a wing four or five lines long 

 and blunt at the end. 



This kind closely resembles the Common Larch, but differs 

 from it in having more rounded cones, with slenderer and more 

 numerous scales, undulated and torn round the upper margin, 

 and in being altogether a more slender tree. 



A tall tree, found on the Fakone mountains, in the island of 

 Nippon, and on the Jezo Island, in the north of Japan. It is 

 cultivated by the Japanese in pots, which, in some instances, are 

 priceless ; hence its Japan name (P-nummularia), Money-Pine. 



