PINACEAE 

 Tamarack 



Larix laricina {DuRoi} Koch [Larix americana Michx.} 



HABIT. A tree sometimes 80-100 feet high, with a trunk 

 diameter of 1-2 feet; forming a broad, open, irregular crown of 

 horizontal branches. 



LEAVES. Scattered singly along the leading shoots or 

 clustered on the short lateral branchlets ; linear, with blunt apex ; 

 rounded above, keeled beneath ; about I inch long ; bright green ; 

 sessile. Deciduous in early autumn. 



FLOWERS. April-May, with the leaves, monoecious; the 

 staminate sessile, subglobose, yellow, composed of many short- 

 stalked anthers spirally arranged about a central axis; the pistil- 

 late oblong, short- stalked, composed of orbicular, green scales 

 (subtended by red bracts) spirally arranged about a central axis. 



FRUIT. Autumn of first season, but persistent on the tree 

 for a year longer ; ovoid, obtuse, light brown, short-stalked cones, 

 Y^-Y^ i ncn long; seeds */$ inch long, with pale brown wings widest 

 near the middle. 



WINTER-BUDS. Small, globose, lustrous, dark red. 



BARK. Twigs at first grayish, glaucous, later light orange- 

 brown, and finally dark brown; red-brown and scaly on the trunk. 



WOOD. Heavy, hard, very strong, coarse-grained, very 

 durable, light brown, with thin, nearly white sapwood. 



DISTRIBUTION. Common throughout the state. 



HABITAT. Prefers cold, deep swamps, or in the north 

 coming out on the drier uplands. 



NOTES. Becomes a picturesque tree in old age. Should 

 be transplanted while dormant. 



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