68 FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 



dry, gravelly sand, in peat bogs, and grows also in cold clay soils. Occurs in pure and 

 mixed stands. On sandy plains and gravelly slopes, in pure, crowded stands of slender 

 trees. On cold clay soils, often with coast form of lodgepole pine and Gowen cypress ; 

 sometimes also mingled with live oaks, Douglas fir, California laurel, wax myrtle, and 

 madrona. 



Climatic Conditions. — Temperature of range rarely below 25° or above 95° F, Rain- 

 fall, from 20 inches in north to 11 inches in south; snow almost unknown. Atmospheric 

 moisture, high ; more than one-third of days cloudy or foggy. 



Tolerance. — One of most tolerant pines; frequently in dense stands with fairly heavy 

 crown cover and soil with good humus. 



Reproduction. — Good seeder, bearing cones when quite young and about every year. 

 Seed of high germination and with very persistent vitality (a number of years) when 

 held in closed cones. Seeds shed tardily ; opening of cones hastened by fire, which is 

 usually followed by dense reproduction. Aggressive, extending its range particularly 

 over cut and burned redwood lands contiguous to it ; then often replacing former forest 

 by its dense growth. 



LARIX. LARCHES. 



The larches," also called tamaracks, lose their leaves every fall, their branches 

 becoming bare in winter and in the spring putting forth new foliage. Their 

 leaves resemble somewhat those of other conifers in being needle-shaped ; but 

 they are really distinct from all the rest of our native cone-bearers in being 

 produced in little brush-like bundles, from 12 to 40 leaves in each (figs. 26 to 

 28), on all but the leading shoots, on which the leaves are scattered singly. The 

 little bud-like spurs which bear bundles of leaves are really aborted or sup- 

 pressed branchlets, which, if drawn out by growth, would show their leaves 

 disposed as in the leading shoots. Male and female flowers are borne singly 

 on the same branches or twigs of the previous year's growth. The male, or 

 pollen-bearing, flowers are small, rounded, or elongated yellow-green bodies 

 about the size of a small pea, and are borne naked ; the female flowers, which 

 produce cones and seeds, are also small, but are scaly. They are usually bright 

 purple or red, and are accompanied by a bundle of leaves. 



The cones of larches mature in a single season and often remain on the trees 

 for one or several seasons. Two winged seeds are borne under each of the thin 

 cone scales. Larch cones open shortly after they are matured and shed their 

 seed. Seed-leaves, 5 to 6 or 7. Succeeding these the young stem bears single 

 scattered leaves, as do also the leading shoots of branches. This manner of 

 leaf growth continues for several years, and then the seedling begins to pro- 

 duce the adult clusters of leaves. 



The larches are important forest trees. They produce straight, tall stems, the 

 wood of which is strong, moderately durable, and especially useful for round 

 and pole timber, as well as for saw timber. 



At least three species of larch inhabit the United States. One is found 

 mainly in northeastern United States and the Canadian provinces, extending 

 westward to southern Alaska. The two others inhabit the northwestern United 

 States, extending northward into Canada. A fourth species is probably confined 

 to Alaska. 



Western Larch. 

 Larix occidentalis Nuttall. 



DISTING DISHING CHARACTERISTICS. 



Western larch is the largest and most massive of North American larches. 

 Its straight trunks grow ordinarily to a height of from 100 to 180 feet and to 



° The name Larch (from Larijc) is properly applied only to trees of the genus Larix. 

 During the last twenty-five years, however, "larch" has been, and still is, applied by lum- 

 bermen and woodsmen to the noble fir, Abies nobilis. This tree is a true fir or " balsam ' 

 and in no way directly related to the larches. The use of " larch " as a name for this 

 tree should be discontinued. It has led to much confusion. 



