262 PLANTS AND MAN 



by its very restricted natural distribution. This is very likely 

 occasioned by its rather exacting nature as regards soil and 

 temperature, since it is unable to withstand drought or extremes 

 of temperature. 



The Larches 



Larches, or tamaracks (Larix), have thin, needle shaped 

 leaves borne in clusters of more than ten, and shed from the tree 

 every fall (fig. 183). They are placed upon conspicuous, stubby, 

 branchlets which persist after leaf fall and give a ragged, irregular 

 appearance to the leafless branches. The cones are small and thin 

 scaled. 



Fig. 183. — Larches have needle-like leaves borne in clusters of a dozen or 

 more, and shed every autumn. 



The larches are represented in North America by only three 

 species. One of these, commonly known as tamarack, ranges 

 from the northeastern United States northward into the Arctic 

 circle and westward to Alaska. The other two species, western 

 LARCH and ALPINE LARCH, are trees of rather limited distribution 

 in the northern Rocky Mountains. The tamarack is at best only 

 a medium sized tree, seldom exceeding seventy five feet in height 

 and one to two feet in diameter. Almost always a slow growing 

 tree, it is confined to swamps in the southern portion of its range, 

 but inhabits moist uplands farther north. Western larch is a 

 much larger species, growing commonly to heights of one hun- 

 dred and fifty feet and diameters of three to four feet. In parts of 

 Montana, Idaho, and Washington it occurs in almost pure 

 stands; in other regions of the northern Rockies it is often asso- 



