34^ The Trees of Great Britain and Ii;eland 



empty cones remaining on the branches for several years. Seeds, two on each scale, 

 with a translucent wing, which remains coalesced with the seed, covering it entirely 

 on the upper side, and extending for some distance along its outer edge. 



The genus is confined to the temperate and colder regions of the northern 

 hemisphere, and comprises about fourteen described species. Four of these, which 

 we have not seen either growing wild or in cultivation, will now be briefly 

 alluded to. 



Larix Cajanderi, Mayr, Fremdl'dnd. Wald- u. Parkbdume, 297, fig. 88 (1906). 

 Discovered by Dr. Cajander in eastern Siberia, where it occurs along the banks of 

 the river Lena from the mouth of the Aldan at 68 N. lat. northwards to 72 N. lat., 

 becoming here a stunted tree only 10 to 20 feet in height. It usually forms mixed 

 woods with the Siberian spruce or Betula odorata, assuming in wet soil the same 

 appearance as is presented by L. americana in the swamps of Wisconsin ; or on 

 unflooded land growing pure to a height of about 70 feet. Judging from the 

 description it is closely allied to, if not a mere variety of, L. dahurica. The young 

 branchlets are yellowish brown with scattered hairs, older branchlets becoming ashy 

 grey. The leaves are very long, up to 2 inches in length ; and are accompanied on 

 the opening of the bud by a tuft of dense whitish pubescence, which is absent in 

 L. dahurica. The cones are small, with about twenty scales, which gape widely 

 when ripe, and are broad and concave on the upper margin. 



Larix Principis Rupprechtii, Mayr, op. cit. 309, figs. 87, 94, 95 (1906). This 

 species was discovered by Mayr on the Wu Tai mountain in the province of Shansi 

 in northern China ; and appears to resemble strongly the European larch, from which 

 it differs in the cone-scales being finely denticulate and glabrous, with bracts short 

 and only visible towards the base of the cone. This species has been introduced 

 into Europe by Mayr, who brought a living plant to Grafrath, near Munich, which is 

 growing there very vigorously. 



Larix kamtschatika, Carriere, Conif. 279 (1855); Abies kamtschatika, Ruprecht, 

 Beit. Pflanzenkund. Russ. Reich, ii. 57 ; Pinus kamtschatika, Endlicher, Conif. 135 

 (1847). This species, which occurs in Kamtschatka, is said to differ from L. dahurica 

 in having larger cones. It is imperfectly known, and has not been introduced. 



Larix chinensis, Beissner, Mitteil. Deutsch. Dendrol. Gesell. 1896, p. 68, and 

 1901, p. 76 ; and Nuov. Giorn. Bot. Ital. iv. 183, t. 5 (1897). A tree, dimensions of 

 which are not stated. Branchlets yellow, glabrous. Leaves up to \\ inch long, 

 triangular in section, stomatose on the under surface. Cones ovoid-cylindrical, i^ to 

 2 inches long ; scales numerous, orbicular, entire, coriaceous, furrowed and tomentose 

 on the outer surface, standing horizontally in the opened cones ; bracts lanceolate, 

 truncate at the narrowed apex, with a short mucro, extending considerably beyond 

 the upper margin of the scale, and appressed and not recurved in the unripe cone. 

 Seeds about \ inch in length with a broad wing slightly exceeding the seeds in 

 length. 



This species, specimens of which I have recently seen in the Museum at 

 Florence, was discovered at 10,000 feet altitude in the Peling mountains of Shensi 

 in China by Pere Giraldi in 1893. Beissner has raised seedlings from seeds sent in 



