PINETUM DANICUM. 



417 



of the Central Japanese Larch (Larix leptolepis). Eight degrees 

 farther north than Iturupp, in Kamtschatka, in the vicinity of 

 Peter-Paul's Harbour, Kuprecht found a Larch, which he described 

 as Abies kamtschatica. It may be the same. L. Jcurilensis is not to 

 be found on Eso. It grows in the Kuriles intermixed with Picea 

 ajanensis and A hies sachalinensis. 



L. leptolepis, Murr. Pines and Firs of Japan, 89 ; Gord. Pinet. 

 128 ; H. Mayr, Monogr. Abiet. Jap. Reich. 1890, 63. L. japonica, 

 Carriere, Conif. ed. 2, 353. L. Sieholdi, Zucc. Abies leptolepis^ Sieb. 

 and Zucc. Fl. Jap. 12, t. 103. Finns leptolepis, Endl. Conif. 130. 

 F. Larix, Thunb. Fl. Jap. 275. 



Habitat. — Japan. Dr. Mayr says that Larix leptolepis grows into 

 a tree of great size. In the cooler forests some very strong examples 

 are intermixed, but the greatest number are to be found in the tem- 

 perate regions on volcanic ground ; a few go near to the alpine region. 

 This Japanese Larch only occupies a somewhat small area ; it extends 

 no further south than. Fuji-san, at 35^° N., its most northern point 

 being 38° N. ; beyond this it is not found, neither is it on the Island 

 of Eso. It is of no greater value as a forest tree than the European 

 Larch, but in its youth it is certainly more beautiful in appearance. 



Introduced in 1861 by Mr. J. G. Yeitch. 



Hardy. 



L. occidentalis, Nutt. Amer. Sylv. iii. v. 143, t. 120. Finus 

 Nuttalli, Pari, in DC. Prodr. xvi. 2, 412. Larix americana brevi- 

 folia, Carr. Conif. ed. 2, 357. 



Habitat. — British Columbia, Selkirk and Gold ranges, south of 

 latitude 53° N., extending west to the head of Okanagan Lake (G. M. 

 Dawson), south along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains to 

 the Columbia Piver, through the mountain ranges of Northern Wash- 

 ington Territory to the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains of 

 Montana, and on the Blue Mountains of Washington Territory and 

 Oregon. 



A noble tree of great economic value, 100 to 150 feet in height, 

 with a trunk 3 to 5 feet in diameter ; moist mountain slopes and 

 ledges between 2,500 and 5,000 feet elevation ; scattered among 

 other trees, and never exclusively forming forests, the thick bark long 

 resisting the action of forest fires ; very common, and perhaps reaching 

 its greatest development, in the region north of the Big Blackfoot 

 River and in the Flathead River, Montana ; here the largest and most 

 valuable timber tree. 



Wood heavy, exceedingly hard and strong, rather coarse-grained, 

 compact, satiny, susceptible of a fine polish, very durable in contact 

 with the soil ; bands of small summer cells broad, occupying fully half 

 the width of annual growth, very resinous, dark-coloured, conspicuous; 

 resin passages few, obscure; medullary rays numerous, thin; colour light 

 bright red, the thin sap wood nearly white ; specific gravity, 0'7407 ; 



