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PART 12— GOLDEN LARCH 



Three trees constitute the collection of Golden Larch in the 

 Garden. They stand just north of the Larches on the higher 

 ground east of the Central Drive through the Garden (Map 

 p. 137). These trees are 



Pseudolarix Kaempferi, the Golden Larch 



This tree is very similar to the true larches. Its long spreading 

 branches are pendulous at the tips, clothed in summer with light- 

 green clustered leaves that turn clear yellow in fall. It, too, loses 

 its leaves in autumn, being one of the four genera of conifers that 

 do so. The others are the Larch, the Bald Cypress and Glypto- 

 strobus of China. The Golden Larch is very similar to the true 

 larches but differs by having stalked, pendulous, clustered male 

 flowers and cone-scales which fall from the axis of the cone at 

 maturity as in the true firs. Furthermore, the Golden Larch is 

 distinguished by its longer club-shaped short shoots with distinct 

 annual rings and by its larger and broader leaves. 



The Golden Larch is found wild only in a restricted region in 

 eastern China, at altitudes of 3000 to 4000 feet. It attains heights 

 there up to 130 feet. In our country it is quite hardy, though slow 

 growing, and is apparently free from insect pests and fungous 

 diseases. It requires a sunny position, well-drained moderately 

 moist soil, and it dislikes limestone. 



To the Chinese this tree is known as chin-lo-sung, i.e., Golden 

 Deciduous Pine, or merely as ching-sung, i.e., Golden Pine. The 

 names, of course, refer to the golden color displayed by the foliage 

 in autumn. It is too scarce to be of much economic value, though 

 the wood is of good quality and easy to work. 



This is the only species in the genus Pseudolarix. 



