HiCNity AND I'^Loon — The Dunkeld Ihjhrid Larch. 57 



seen, bearing great quantities of cones with ripe seed annually." From its 

 seed a good many descendants were obtained, some of wliicli are still to be 

 seen in parks and botanic gardens in Great Britain. Tbe trees of the second 

 and third generations differ amongst themselves in vigour, size, habit, bark, 

 twigs, leaves, and cones. In fact, they show a range of variation that can 

 only be explained as resulting from the diverse combinations of the distinc- 

 tive characters of the two parent species. These peculiar larch trees were 

 for a long time considered by foresters and botanists to be a second wild 

 species in Eastern Canada, where, howev-er, Larix americana is the sole indi 

 genous larch. Of late years, they were erroneously identified with Lariou 

 dahurica, a native of Eastern Asia. The history and botanical characters of 

 Larix pendula clearly establish its hybrid nature. 



It is noteworthy that none of the trees of the second and third genera- 

 tions retains the remarkable vigour of the original first cross. In fact, they 

 are as a rule inferior in growth to the European larch, one of the parents ; 

 but a good number show greater vigour than the other parent, the American 

 larch. 



The Eussian botanist, Eegel,^ gives an interesting account of the remark- 

 able differences in habit of the seedlings which he raised at St. Petersburg 

 from the seed of Lari.v ijcndida. Some exhibited bizarre, prostrate, and 

 pendulous forms. This is a striking example of mutations resulting from 

 hybridity. 



In Larix pendula only one tree of the first hybrid generation appears ever 

 to have been produced. In the case, however, of the Dunkeld hybrid larch, 

 as will be shown in the following pages, numerous first-cross individuals of 

 great promise and vigour have been easily raised from seed. The seed is 

 profusely produced by a few trees of one species, which are spontaneously 

 cross-pollinated by trees of the other species in their vicinity. This abundant 

 production of hybrid seed is a remarkable phenomenon. 



2. Larix Marschlinsi, Coaz.- This hybrid larch came only under our notice 

 a few days ago. Like the Dunkeld hybrid larch, it has arisen from a tree of 

 Larix leptolepis, which happened to be fertilized by the pollen of another 

 species, growing close by. The mother Japanese larch tree, which is now 

 about thirty-seven years old, stands in the forest garden of Tscharuerholz, 

 near Morat, in Switzerland. Seed of this, sown in 1901, produced young 

 trees, which are now growing at Marschlins in the comnnmal forest of Igis, 

 in the Grisons canton. These seedlings are very vigorous, having attained, 



• In "Gartenauni," xx, 1U2 (187 1j. 



- In ''Schweiz. Zeitschrift fiir Forstweson,'' vol. Ixviii, p. J-', ligs. il iuul -i (J;inu:wy, 

 1U17). 



