356 



XE^V KXGLAXD TREES IX WIXTER. 



AMERICAN LARCH 



Tamarack, Hackmatack, Black Larch, "Juniper.' 

 Larix laricina (Du Roi) Koch. 



L. americana Michx. 



HABIT — A tree 30-70 ft. in hei2:ht. with a trunk diameter of 1-3 ft., 

 at high altitudes reduced to 1-- ft. in height: trunk erect continuous 

 into tlie crown, branches irregular or indistinctly whorled, in young- 

 age and when crowded and in swamps forming a narrow symmetrical 

 pyramidal head, in old age becoming broader and of irregular form. 

 The L,arch is the only New England cone-bearing tree that sheds its 

 leaves in the fall; specimens in \^'inter consequently are frequently 

 mistaken for dead trees. 



BARlv — On young trunks smooth, with age becoming roughened with 

 thin, close, reddish-brown, roundish scales. 



TAA'IGS — Slender, smooth, pale orange colored to reddish-brown with 

 short lateral wart-like branches, with resinous taste. 



LEAF-SCAKS — Scattered on rapidly grown shoots, very numerous 

 and strongb" decurrent, minute, triangular. "uMth a single bundle-scar; 

 also on short wart-like branches, smaller and densely clustered. 



BI'DS — Scattered along" last season's t%vigs, on older gro'vs'th at the 

 ends of the sliort lateral branches, small, about 1 mm long, spherical, 

 reddish, shining. 



FRIIT — Ovate, oblong cones, about '^2-^^ inch long on short, stout, 

 incurved stalks, persistent on trees thru ugh out winter. SCVLES — thin, 

 about a dozen or fewer in number. 



COMPARISONS — The American Larch or Tamarack as it is more com- 

 monly called by woodsmen is hardly to be confused TS'lth any other 

 tree except the European Larch [Larix decidun Mill.: L. europaea DC.]. 

 The European Larch is a species adapted to dryer situations than the 

 American f-.irm. It is readily distinguished by its stouter, yellower 

 twig's, larger cones. ab'.'Ut 1 inch long, "with numerous cone scales 

 (see lower twig in plate). 



DISTRIBITIOX — Low lands, shaded hillsides, borders of ponds: in 

 New England preferring cold swamps; sometimes far up mountain 

 slopes. Labrador. Ne'^-foundland. and Xo\"a Scotia, "^'est to the Rocky 

 mountains; frnm the Rockies through British Columbia, northward along 

 the Yukon and Mackenzie systems, to the limit of tree growth beyond 

 the Arctic circle; south along the mountains to New Jersey and 

 Pennsylvania; west to Minnesota. 



IN NE"W" ENGLAND — Maine. New Hampshire and Vermont — abundant, 

 filling sT^-anips acres in extent, alone or associated with other trees, 

 mostly Black Spruce; growing depressed and scattered on Katahdin at 

 an altitude of 4,000 ft.; Massachusetts — rather common at least north- 

 ■ward; Rhode Island^ — not reported. 



IN CONNECTICUT— Absent near the coast; rare in the eastern part 

 of the state; Union, Tijlland; becoming occasional westward and fre- 

 quent in Litchfield county. 



"WOOD — Very heavy, hard and strong, rather coarse-grained, very 

 durable in contact with soil, bright light red with thin nearly white 

 sapwooil : largely used for the upper knees of small vessels, fence posts, 

 telegraph poles, railroad ties, in cabinet making and for interior finish 

 of buildings. 



