6 LARIX 



part of its existence on spruce. It is thought that the punctures caused 

 by it afford one means by which the spores of the fungoid parasite, 

 Dasyseypha calydna, effects its entry. This fungus, commonly known as 

 "larch canker" or "larch blister," has done very much damage to larch 

 plantations during recent decades. The "blight" is best attacked by 

 spraying with paraffin emulsion, especially in spring; the "canker," with 

 Bordeaux mixture. But such measures can of course only be adopted 

 for comparatively small garden specimens. The canker is as yet only 

 seriously affecting the common larch (q>v.). 



L. AMERICANA, Michaux. TAMARACK. 



(L. microcarpa, Desfontaines.") 



A tree 50 to 80 ft. high, with a trunk sometimes nearly 2 ft. in diameter ; 

 young shoots often glaucous, turning yellowish brown, never downy. Leaves 

 three-sided, f to ij ins. long, very slender, bluntish. Cones egg-shaped, to 

 f in. long, j to ^ in. wide ; scales enclosing the bracts. 



Native of Eastern N. America, from Newfoundland and Labrador south 

 to Virginia, and west to the Rocky Mountains. It is distinguished from all 

 other cultivated larches by its small cones. Introduced, according to Aiton, 

 in 1760, it has never been much cultivated, owing, no doubt, to the greater 

 beauty and economic value of the European larch, but as it thrives in places 

 too damp for the latter (occupying swampy ground in some of its native 

 haunts), it is worth trying in such positions. There are trees about 70 ft. 

 high at Arley Castle, near Bewdley, and elsewhere. Some confusion exists 

 in gardens between this species and L. dahurica, both having been called 

 " L. pendula," and the latter having at one time been regarded as 

 E. American. L. americana is easily distinguished by its shorter leaves and 

 smaller cones. 



L. DAHURICA, Turczaninow. DAHURIAN LARCH. 



(L. davurica, Trautvetter?) 



A tree in some parts of its native habitat as large as the common larch ; 

 bark scaling, but not fissured ; young shoots pale brown, not downy. Leaves 

 i to if ins. long, not so tapered at the tip as in the common larch. Cones 

 beautiful bright pink when young in April, ultimately f to i \ ins. long, egg- 

 shaped, tapered towards the top ; scales rounded, with the margins distinctly 

 bevelled, and differing from those of L. europaea in not being downy, at least 

 as a rule. 



Native of Saghalien, E. Manchuria, and Siberia. The date of its introduc- 

 tion is unknown, but it was cultivated as long ago as 1739, at which time and 

 for long afterwards it was thought to be a native of Newfoundland, where, 

 however, no proof of its being a native exists. It thrives well in Britain, and in 

 several places is from 60 to 80 ft. high. At Kew it is 50 ft. high and 3 ft. 8 ins. in 

 girth. [Prof. Henry (Gard. Chron., Sept. 18, 1915) has pronounced the larch 

 here described to be the true L. PENDULA, Salisb., and maintains that it is a 

 hybrid between europaea and americana, not L. dahurica. (Note, 2nd Ed.).] 



L. EUROP^A, De Candolle. COMMON LARCH. 

 (L. decidua, Miller) 



A tree reaching 100 to 140 ft. in height in this country, with an erect, 

 tapering trunk, 2 to 5 ft. thick, clothed with fissured, scaling bark ; branchlets 



