LARIX EUROPE A. 391 



finds its eastern limit in the Kurile Islands. On the. mountains of 

 Dahuria it ascends higher than the Siberian Larch, forming, as a 

 stunted shrub, the highest zone of arborescent vegetation.* 



A tree that exists and perpetuates itself in a region in which 

 there is an annual range of temperature of over 100 Fahr. including 

 40 below zero, is unable to live long under the stimulus of the more 

 equable climate of Great Britain. According to London Larix dahurica 

 was first introduced into this country in 1827 ; it is still represented 

 by young trees in the Royal Gardens at Kew, and is occasionally 

 procurable in nursery gardens. 



Larix europaea. 



A lofty tree attaining in favourable situations a height of 120 feet, 

 but more commonly the height of adult trees ranges from 80 to 

 100 feet, and at the highest vertical limit of the species much less. 

 Trunk straight, gradually tapering upwards, 2 4 feet in diameter near 

 the base, and covered with greyish brown bark fissured into irregular 

 thin plates. Branches in pseudo-whorls, spreading, more or less 

 upturned at the end, on adult trees nearly of equal length,! the 

 lowermost usually cast off before the tree attains its full height. 

 Branchlets with smooth, pale, yellowish bark, pendulous on adult trees, 

 often spreading on vigorous young trees. Leaves in fascicles of 

 thirty forty or more on arrested branchlets or "spurs," scattered on 

 the leader and terminal shoots ; narrowly linear, obtuse, obscurely keeled 

 on the under side, soft light green. Staminate flowers at first ovoid- 

 globose, afterwards sub-cylindric, 0'25 0*75 inch long, pale yellow. 

 Ovuliferous flowers shortly pedunculate, sub-cylindric ; reddish purple 

 before fertilisation. Cones ovoid-cylindric, variable in size ; in Great 

 Britain 1 1'5 inch long, composed of six nine series of imbricated, 

 suborbicular, pale brawn scales with entire margins, and striated on the 

 exposed side ; bracts oval at the base, prolonged at the apex into a 

 short point. Seed wings obliquely-ovate, nearly as long as the scale. 



Larix europaea, De Candolle, Flore Frai^aise, III. 277 (1805). London, Arb. 

 et Frut. Brit. IV. 2350, with figs. (1838). Link in Linnsea, XV. 534 (1841). 

 Carriers, Traite Conif. ed. II. 357. Hoopes, Evergreens, 249, with fig. Gordon, 

 Pinet. ed. II. 169. Willkomm, Forstl. Fl. ed. II. 140. Beissner, Nadelholzk. 321, 

 with fig. Masters in Journ. R. Hort. Soc. XIV. 217. 



L. decidua,J Miller, Diet. ed. VIII. (1768). Koch, Dendrol. II. 258. Regel in 

 Gartenfl. XX. 101 (1871). 



Pinus Larix, Linnaeus, Sp. Plant. II. 1001 (1753). Lambert, Genus Pinus, I. 

 53, t. 35. Endlicher, Synops. Conif. 133. Christ. Uebersicht. der Europ. Abietin. 8. 

 Parlatore, D. C. Prodr. XVI. 411. 



Abies Larix, L. C. Richard, Mem. sur les Conif. 65 (1826). Lindley and Gordon 

 in Journ. Hort. Soc. Loud. V. 213. 



And many others. 



Eng. European Larch, Common Larch. Fr. Meleze de 1' Europe. Germ. Gemeine 

 Larche. Ital. Larice ordinario. Span. Pino Alerce. 



* Dr. Regel distinguished three forms of Larix dahurica : 1 . lypica ; 2, prostrata ; 

 3, japonica ; the last named probably the L. Tcurilcnsis of Mayr. Gartenflora, loc. cit. supra. 



t The length and persistency of the lower branches of the Larch varies greatly. When 

 standing alone in open spaces the branches sometimes attain a length of 25 to 30 feet. 



J This specific name is thence older than De Candolle's europcea, but it was not taken 

 up by any subsequent authors except the late Professor Koch of Berlin, and Dr. Regel of 

 St. Petersburg.] 



