34 CONIFERS AND TAXADS OF JAPAN 



near Toyohara I gathered on August 5, 1916, specimens (No. 7333), in which the 

 cone-scales were green in the centre, red-brown round the margins and perfectly 

 intermediate between the type and its green-coned form (f. ochrocarpa Wils.). 

 The scales of the ripe cone are ascending-spreading, either perfectly smooth or 

 glandularly puberulous on the outside, with the margin thin, often slightly crenulate, 

 truncate and normally emarginate at the summit. The wood is of about the same 

 value as that of the Japanese Larch (L. Kaempferi Sarg.) and is used in Saghalien 

 for telegraph-poles, railway-ties and for planking and posts in general building 

 work. 



Some years ago Maximowicz informed Dr. K. Miyabe that the tree from 

 which came the specimens on which he based his L. dahurica, var. japonica grew 

 in the town of Hakodate in Hokkaido. Acting on this information I succeeded in 

 locating in Hakodate the only large tree of this Larch known to grow there and in 

 all probability Maximowicz's type. Through the courtesy of the military authori- 

 ties I was able to photograph this interesting tree, which is about 15 m. tall, with a 

 trunk 2 m. in girth and a flat, wide-spreading crown some 13 m. through. It grows in 

 what is now a private garden at 101, Yachigashira. On comparing specimens from 

 this tree with a cotype from Dr. Mayr of his L. kurilensis I can detect no difference 

 except that the shoots on the Hakodate specimens are rather more pubescent and 

 redder brown. They agree exactly with Mayr's figure. No one has really questioned 

 the identity of Maximowicz's variety and Mayr's species, but admitting this it 

 remains exceedingly doubtful if the variety is distinct from typical L. dahurica 

 Turcz. In a letter recently received Professor A. Henry points out certain differ- 

 ences which he has detected and which he considers distinguish the Kuriles Larch 

 from that of Saghalien and of the mainland. I have carefully examined the 

 many specimens in this herbarium and find the characters pointed out by Henry 

 to be extremely variable and common to material from the Kuriles, from Sagha- 

 lien and from continental eastern Asia. At my request my several colleagues have 

 kindly undertaken an independent examination of the material and their con- 

 clusions are identical with my own. From my study of cultivated trees of the 

 Kuriles Larch in Hokkaido and in this Arboretum, of the forests of Larch in Sag- 

 halien and of the mass of dried material in this herbarium I am strongly of the 

 opinion that Messrs. Miyabe and Miyake are correct in reducing Maximowicz's 

 variety (the L. kurilensis Mayr) to typical L. dahurica Turcz. Nevertheless, in 

 the present imperfect state of our knowledge and in order to avoid any possible 

 confusion it is best to keep them separate. 



Larix dahurica, var. japonica is a very hardy tree, but it is not probable that it 

 will have value for forestry purposes in lands where the Japanese Larch (L. Kaemp- 

 feri Sarg.) can be grown. The forestry officers at Kushiro informed me that an 

 experimental planting had been recently made on part of the Nemuro peninsula in 

 northeastern Hokkaido, but it was too early to form any opinion of its value. 

 In the Botanic Garden at Sapporo this Larch grows well, but is not the equal in this 

 respect of L. Kaempferi Sarg. In this Arboretum trees raised from seeds received 

 in February 1894 are now only 6 m. tall, with trunks 0.4 m. in girth, and their 

 clear grass-green leaves and characteristic habit make them very distinct. It was 

 introduced into Europe by Dr. Mayr in 1888. A form of this Larch is 



Larix dahurica, var. japonica, f. ochrocarpa Wilson n. forma. 



Larix dahurica, forma chlorocarpa Miyabe & Miyake, Fl. Saghal. 621 (possibly of 

 Schroder) (1915). 



