THE "hybrid larch.' 151 



to say that, so far as yet observed, the " hybrid " is much more 

 rapid than Z. leptolepis or Z. europcea in the same locaUty. In 

 the seedling state the "hybrids" are, like Z. europcea, semi- 

 evergreen. 



From this evidence it will, I think, be admitted that there is 

 a fairly strong case for hybridity. 



It is said that plants raised from seeds got in pure Japanese 

 larch plantations show little or no difference from the parents. 

 If this be so it is another strong argument in favour of hybridity 

 in the case of the progeny of isolated trees, since it was from 

 such that the first and best-known " hybrids " showing variation 

 were raised. 



Those who doubt hybridity base their case mainly on the 

 difference in the times of flowering of Japanese and European 

 larch. I have observed that the former produces its male 

 and female flowers at from ten to fourteen days before the latter. 

 It is not uncommon to find that some of the earliest Japanese 

 larch female flowers are just beginning to close when the male 

 flowers of the European species are just mature. On the other 

 hand there are trees which, either on account of environmental 

 factors, or on account of some inherent quality, come into 

 flower much later than the mass of their fellows. So far, it 

 has not been observed that the seeds from these produce plants 

 which differ in any way from the offspring of the earlier 

 flowering trees. 



Moreover, among conifers, hybrids are notoriously rare. The 

 best-known examples are Vilmorin's cross between Abies Pinsapo 

 and A. cephalonica, and the supposed natural cross between 

 Pseudotsuga Doiiglasii and Abies pectinata, which is said to have 

 given rise to P. Doiiglasii var. Standishii. 



It has been suggested that the " hybrid larch " is merely a 

 variation resulting from climatic influences. It is a well-known 

 fact that plants may undergo a more or less marked change of 

 habit when transferred to a new soil or climate. These modi- 

 fications appear in succeeding generations, probably owing to 

 re-impression. Alongside this there is yet the other possibility 

 that a radical change of environment may produce variations in 

 succeeding generations. These variations have been found to 

 breed true. It must be left to those who have studied the 

 Japanese larch in its native habitat and in this country to say 

 what changes they have observed. 



