78 WOOD AND FOREST. 



11 



WESTERN LARCH. TAMARACK. 



Larix occidentalis Nuttall. 

 Larix, the classical L/atin name; occidentalis means western. 



Habitat: (See map); 

 best in northern Montana 

 and Idaho, on high eleva- 

 tions. 



Characteristics of the 

 Tree: Height, 90'-130', 

 even 250'; diameter 6'-8'; 



Habitat. tall, slender, naked trunk, 



with branches high; bark, 

 cinnamon red or purplish, 

 often 12" thick, breaking 

 into irregular plates, often 

 2' long; leaves, in tufts; 

 deciduous; cones small. 



Appearance of Wood: 

 Color, light red, thin, 

 whitish, sap-wood ; non- 

 porous ; grain, straight, 

 fine ; rays numerous, thin ; 

 very resinous, but ducts 

 small and obscure. 



Physical Qualities : 



Weight, heavy (llth in 

 this list), 46 Ibs. per cu. 

 Leaf. ft., sp. gr. 0.7407; very 



