Important Forest Trees of the United States 



799 



111. Western 112. Limber pine, 

 larch. 



113. Western 

 white pine. 



114. Sugar pine. 



WESTERN TREES 



Tree species Nos. Ill to 165 are native in the western half of the United 

 States, west of the prairie- plains. In addition, the following 9 species in the 

 list of eastern trees occur also in western United States: Nos. 16, 31, 33, 

 76, 79, 84, 87, 103, and 107. Also, Nos. 11,17, and 18 extend to western Canada 

 though not to western United States. The 18 important tree species of Alaska, 

 mostly in the list of western trees, are: Nos. 3, 16, 17, 79, 84, 119, 122, 123, 124, 

 127, 130, 131, 138, 140, 147, 150, 152, and 153. 



GYMNOSPERMS (CONIFERS OR SOFTWOODS) 



A (AA on p. 808). Trees resinous, with leaves needlelike or scalelike, evergreen (except 

 larch, No. Ill); seeds borne on scales of a cone (berrylike in juniper, Nos. 142 to 

 145, or seeds single in a fleshy scarlet disk in yew, No. 122) GYMNOSPERMS (conifers 

 or softwoods, such as pines, spruces, firs ) . 



B. Leaves shedding in fall, needlelike, many in cluster on short, spur branches LARCH 

 (Larix; see also No. 3). 



111. WESTERN LARCH, Larix occidentalis Nutt. (larch, western tamarack, tamarack, 

 mountain larch, Montana larch, hackmatack). 



Large tree of mountains of northwestern United States and southeastern British Colum- 

 bia. Bark reddish brown, scaly, becoming deeply furrowed into flat ridges with many 

 overlapping plates. Needles many in cluster on short, spur branches (or single on leading 

 twigs), 3-angled, 1 to 1J4 inches long, light pale green, shedding in fall. Cones upright, 

 1 to 1 y<2. inches long, with long, pointed bracts. 



Principal uses: Lumber for building construction, also interior finish, flooring, and 

 millwork. Railroad ties, mine timbers, fuel. The gum (galactin) can be used in manu- 

 facture of baking powder. Ornamental. 



