PINACE^ 293 



long, short-pointed. Cones about l|in. long, erect on short 

 stalks, composed of numerous kidney-shaped or round scales. 

 Seed about i'„ in. long with a wing a in. long. 



According to the describers^ this larch is closely related to 

 L. Griffithii, which is distinguished chiefly by its very much larger 

 cones, 2-4 in. long, with larger bracts which have a smooth, 

 not papillose, epidermis, and a continuous hypoderm to the leaf. 



L. Mastersiana is apparently a very local species, being known 

 only from the petty tribal state of Wassu, China. In this 

 small territory this larch is abundant, but in 1908 and 1910 it 

 was being rapidly cut down in its more accessible localities. 

 The timber is in demand for housebuilding and general con- 

 structive work and commands a high price at Kuan Hsien. 

 Fortunately the region is extremely precipitous and there 

 is little possibility of this interesting tree being exterminated. 



Larix occidentalis, Nuttall. 

 Western Larch. 



Pinus Nuttalli, Pari at ore. 



This larch attains greater dimensions than any other tree 

 in the genus, being found up to 200 ft. high with a columnar 

 trunk 12-15 ft. in girth. Barh thin, scaly, dark grey or brown 

 on young and middle-aged trees, reddish brown, 3-6 in. thick, 

 and deeply furrowed on old trees. Young shoots whitish, usually 

 with long scattered hairs in the grooves, occasionally without 

 hairs, light brown the second year. Buds round, resinous, with 

 downy and fringed scales, the tips of the outer ones free ; buds 

 of short shoots covered with down. Leaves light green, 1-2 in. 

 long, 14-40 together on the short shoots, rounded above, keeled 

 beneath, stomata prominent, forming two white lines on each 

 surface. Male flowers \-\ in. long in short-stalked, cylindrical 

 clusters. Female floivers |-f in. long, the bracts brown or pinkish, 

 with a long green midrib. Cones ovoid, 1-2 in. long by 1-1 1 in. 

 wide, on short, stout, scaly stalks |-^ in. long ; scales | in. long, 

 ^ in. wide, minutely downy on the outer side, upper margin thin 

 and slightly recurved ; bracts lance-shaped, with a long exserted 

 recurved point. Seed and wing together j— j in. long, the wing 

 pale brown. The seeds are shed within three weeks of ripening. 

 At Kew the flowers open about a fortnight later than those of 

 L. europcEa. 



L. occidentalis is distinguished from L. Lyallii, another W.N, 

 American species, by its less hairy shoots and by the seed-wings 

 being brown, not pink as in L. Lyallii. Intermediate forms, 

 however, are said to connect the two species. 



1 PL was. ii, 19-20 (1914). 



