398 



LARIX LEPTOLEPIS. 



the opening of the ports to foreigners in 1859 was Thunberg, who 

 included it in his " Flora Japonica " under the Linna-an name of 

 Pinus Larix in the belief that it was the European species ; and 

 Siebold, who figured and described it as Abies leptolepis. All of 

 these had seen trees in cultivation only ; it was first detected wild 

 by the late John Gould Veitch during his ascent of Fuji-yama 

 in 1860, and by whom it was introduced in the following year.* 

 Larix leptolepis has, at the present time, a somewhat restricted range 

 on the central mountains of Japan, where it is not uncommon at 

 5,000 6,000 feet elevation between 35'30 and 38 north latitude. 

 The wood is hard, heavy and strong, but not much used on account 

 of the inaccessibility of the trees. 



Fig. 102. Larix leptolepis. 1, Staminate, 2, Oviiliferous flowers. 5, Mature Cone. 

 4 and 5, front and back view of ovuliferons scale. Nat. size. 



Iii Great Britain the best specimens of Larix leptolepis are medium- 

 sized trees from 30 to 35 or more feet high with a broadly conical 

 head when standing alone, and for the most part of pleasing aspect. 

 When in a thriving condition it is fully equal to the common Larch as 

 an ornamental tree ; the foliage is lighter in colour, of a softer shade 

 of green, contrasting more strongly with that of the surrounding trees, 

 and in autumn it dies off with a richer golden hue. The tree is of 

 slower growth than the common Larch, and should not be planted in 

 dry sandy soils. 



* The late Andrew Murray described a second Japanese Larch under the name of 

 Larix japonica (Pines and Firs of Japan, p. 94) from herbarium specimens gathered by 

 John Gould Veitch on Fuji-yama, near the upper limit of arborescent vegetation. It 

 differs from L. leptolepis in little else than in being reduced by wind and cold to a small 

 scrubby bush, and presents much the same aspect as L. dahurica under similar circumstances. 



