54 



PIXACEAE. 



2. LARIX Adans. Fam. PI. 2: 480. 1763. 



Tall trees with horizontal or ascending branches and small narrowly linear deciduous 

 leaves, without sheaths, in fascicles on short lateral scaly bud-like branchlets. Aments 

 short, lateral, monoecious, the staminate from leafless buds ; the ovule-bearing buds com- 

 monly leafy at the base and the aments red. Anther sacs 2-celled, the sacs transversely or 

 obliquely dehiscent. Pollen-grams simple. Cones ovoid or cylindric, small, erect, their 

 scales thin, spirally arranged, obtuse, persistent. Ovules 2 on the base of each scale, ripen- 

 ing into 2 reflexed somewhat winged seeds. [Name ancient, probably Celtic.] 



About 9 species, natives of the north temperate and subarctic zones. Besides the following 2 

 others occur in the western parts of North America. 



i. Larix laricina (Du Roi) Koch. Ameri- 

 can Larch. Tamarack (Fig. 120.) 



Phuis laricina Du Roi, Obs. Bot. 49. 1771. 

 Pinus pendula Ait. Hort. Kew. 3: 369. 1789. 

 Larix Americana Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 203. 1803. 

 Larix laricina Koch, Dendrol. 2: Part 2, 263. 1873. 



A slender tree, attaining a maximum height of 

 about 100 and a trunk diameter of 3, the branches 

 spreading, the bark close or at length slightly scaly. 

 Leaves pale green, numerous in the fascicles, 5" 

 I2 7/ long, about %" wide, deciduous in late autumn; 

 fascicles borne on short lateral branchlets about 2" 

 long ; cones short-peduncled at the ends of similar 

 branchlets, ovoid, obtuse, 6"-S // long, composed of 

 about 12 suborbicular thin scales, their margins 

 entire or slightly lacerate. 



In swamp3 T woods and about margins of lakes, New- 

 foundland to the Northwest Territory, south to New Jer- 

 sey, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Minnesota. Wood hard, 

 strong, very durable, resinous, light brown; weight per 

 cubic ft. 39 Ibs. Called also Hackmatack. March-April. 



3. PICE A Link, Abh. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1827 : 179. 1827-1830. 



Evergreen conical trees, with linear short 4-sided leaves spreading in all directions, 

 jointed at the base to short persistent sterigmata, on which they are sessile, falling away in 

 drying, the bare twigs appearing covered with low truncate projections. Leaf-buds scaly. 

 Staminate aments axillary, nearly sessile; anthers 2-celled, the sacs longitudinally dehiscent, 

 the connective prolonged into an appendage; pollen-grains compound; ovule-bearing aments, 

 terminal, ovoid or oblong; ovules 2 on the base of each scale, reflexed, ripening into 2 more or 

 less winged seeds. Cones ovoid or oblong, obtuse, pendulous, their scales numerous, spirally 

 arranged, thin, obtuse, persistent. [Name ancient] 



About 14 species, natives of the north temperate and subarctic zones. Besides the following, 

 3 others occur in the northwestern parts of North America, 



Twigs and sterigmata glabrous, glaucous; cones oblong-cylindric. i. P. Canadensis. 



Twigs pubescent, brown; cones ovoid or oval. 



Twigs stout : leaves mucronate ; cones persistent. 



Twigs slender; leaves very acute; cones deciduous. 



i. Picea Canadensis Mill.) B.S.P. 

 White Spruce. (Fig. 121.) 



Abies Canadensis Mill. Card. Diet. Ed. 8, No. 4. 1768. 



Pinus alha Ait. Hort. Kew. 3: 371. 1789. 



Abies alba Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 207. 180*. Not 



Mill. 1768. 



Picea alba Link, Linnaea, 15: 519. 1841. 

 Picea Canadensis B.S.P. Prel. Cat. N. Y. 71. 1888. 



A slender tree, attaining a maximum height of 

 about 150 and a trunk diameter of 3, but usually 

 much smaller. Twigs and sterigmata glabrous, 

 pale and glaucous; leaves light green, slender, 6"- 

 8" long, very acute ; cones cylindric or oblong- 

 cylindric, pale, i ft'-i' long, 6"-S" thick before the 

 scales open ; scales almost membranaceous, their 

 margins usually quite entire; bracts incised. 



Newfoundland to Hudson Bay and Alaska, south to 

 Heine, northern New York, Michigan, the Black Hills, 

 Montana and British Columbia. Wood soft, weak, light 

 yellow; weight per cubic foot 25 Ibs. April-May. 



2. P. Mariana. 



3. P. rubra. 



