t:i400 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III. 



Engravings. Michx. N. Amer. Syl.,3. t. 153. ; Lamb. Pin., ed.2., t. 50 ; and the plate of this tree in 

 our last Volume. 



Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves short. Cones small, ovate-roundish, with few scales. 

 (jlfic/iat{.r.) Leaves from ^ in. to J in. long. Cones from i in. to ^ in. long, and 

 from 1^ in. to fin. broad. A tree, with a slender trunk, and attaining, in Ame- 

 rica, as great a height as the European larch does in Europe. Introduced 

 in 1739, and flowering in May. None of the varieties of this species can be at 

 all compared with the European larch, in point of utility, or even ornament. 

 Varieties. 



t L. a. 1 }Tebra ; £,. microcarpa Laws. Man., p. .388. ; Pinus microcarpa 

 Purs/i F/. Amer., Sepi.,p. 6i5., Lodd. Cat.; E'pinette rouge, Canada. 

 The small rer/-coned American Larch. — The following characters 

 of this variety are given in Lawson's JManual : — " Tree, medium- 

 sized, upright, of a slender, conical, or pyramidal habit of growth, but 

 not so much so as in Z. a. pcndula. Branches horizontal, or slightly 

 pendulous, except the upper, which are rather aspiring; branclilets 

 also pendulous, and, together with the branches, more numerous and 

 dense than those of L. a. pendula. Bark snioothish, of a brownish 

 grey, and light brown on the young twigs. Leaves of a vivid grassy 

 green, and shorter and narrower than those of Z. europae'a. Catkins 

 very similar to those of the L. a. pendula ; but the bracteae of the 

 female or young cones are of a more regular oval shape. Ripe cones 

 about A in. in length, easily detached from the branches, of an oblong 

 shape ; scales also somewhat oblong or oval, light brown, slightly 

 incurved, and rougher, or more distmctly striated, than those of the 

 black larch. Seeds also shorter, or more rounded, and, together with 

 the alae, of a lighter brown." A native of North America. Intro- 

 duced in 1760. and flowering in A|)ril. (Laws. jMan.,p. 388.) There 

 are trees of this variety in the Duke of Athol's plantations, which, 

 in 18-20, were 50 years old, and did not contain a third part of the 

 timber of the common larch of the same age. The wood, however, 

 is so ponderous, that it will scarcely swim in water, 

 i L. a. 2 pendula ; L. pendula Laws. Man., p. 387. ; /^inus pendula Ait. 

 Hort. Kew., ed. 1., iii. p. 369., Pursh Fl. Amcr. Sept., ii. p. 645., Willd. 

 Baitmz., p. 215., Lamb. Pin., cd. 2., t. 49.; P. intermedia Dii Hoi 

 Harbk., ii. p. 1 15., Wang. Beit., p. 42., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836 ; P. Lk- 

 rix nigra Marsh. Arb. Amer., p. 203. ; ^'bies pendula Po/V.Z)/W.; p. 5 14., 

 X. l)u Ham., \. p. 288. ; Tamarack, Amer. The black pendulous- 

 branched American Larch. — According to Lawson, this is a " tree of 

 medium size, slender,andgenerally bendingtowardsthetop. Branches 

 verticillate,few,remote, and pendulous; branchlets also thin, and more 

 pendulous than the branches. Bark smooth, and very dark-coloured ; 

 that on the youngest twigs of a dark purplish colour, inclining to 

 grey. Leaves like those of the common larch in shape, but rather 

 longer, darker in colour, and arising from shorter and much darker- 

 coloured buds or sheaths. Male and female catkins small and short ; 

 the latter generally tinged with reddish purple. Cones, when ripe, 

 easily detached from the branches, generally under J in. in length ; 

 scales round, or slightly approaching to an oval shape, snioothish, of 

 a dark brown colour, few, loose, and slightly incurved on the mar- 

 gins; bracteae much shorter than the scales, of a somewhat lyrate 

 shape ; waved on the margins, and tipped with a short, soft, acute 

 point. Seed considerably smaller than that of L. europae'a, and of an 

 oblong shape ; alee, or wings, of a brownish-purple colour. Native of 

 North America. Introduced into Britain in 1739. The i. a. pendula 

 grows only in the colder parts of North America, being entirely con- 

 fined to the northward of 40^ of latitude; and is found in greatest 

 abundance in mountainous parts, on rather moist and inferior soils. 

 The timber of L. a. pendula is of a darkish brown colour, waved, very 

 tough, durable, and, where it is plentiful, preferred, for general pur- 



