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Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae
Pinaceae

The family Pinaceae , is in the order Pinales and includes many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as cedars, firs, Tsugas, larches, pines and spruces....
.






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Siberian Larch
Flowers of Japanese Larch Emerging
Larix Decidua0
Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae
Pinaceae

The family Pinaceae , is in the order Pinales and includes many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as cedars, firs, Tsugas, larches, pines and spruces....
. They are native to much of the cooler temperate
Temperate

In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold....
 northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the far north, and high on mountain
Mountain

A mountain is a landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill....
s further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the immense boreal forest
Taiga

Taiga is a biome characterized by coniferous forests. Covering most of inland Alaska, Canada, Sweden, Finland, inland Norway and Russia , as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States , northern Kazakhstan and Japan , the taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome....
s of Russia
Russia

Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
 and Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
.

They are deciduous
Deciduous

Deciduous means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe....
 tree
TREE

TREE was a Boston hardcore punk band formed in the summer of 1990. They were active in the Boston music scene until disbanding in 2002....
s, growing from 15-50 m tall. The shoots are dimorphic, with growth divided into long shoots typically 10-50 cm long and bearing several bud
Bud

In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or Plant embryogenesis shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of the Plant stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately....
s, and short shoots only 1-2 mm long with only a single bud. The leaves
Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
 are needle-like, 2-5 cm long, slender (under 1 mm wide). They are borne singly, spirally arranged on the long shoots, and in dense clusters of 20-50 needles on the short shoots. The needles turn yellow and fall in the late autumn, leaving the trees leafless through the winter.

Larch cones
Conifer cone

A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the plant sexuality structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds....
 are erect, small, 1-9 cm long, green or purple, ripening brown 5-8 months after pollination; in about half the species the bract scales are long and visible, and in the others, short and hidden between the seed scales. Those native to northern regions have small cones (1-3 cm) with short bracts, with more southerly species tending to have longer cones (3-9 cm), often with exserted bracts, with the longest cones and bracts produced by the southernmost species, in the Himalaya.

Species and classification

There are 10-14 species; those marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below are not accepted as distinct species by all authorities. In the past, the cone bract length was often used to divide the larches into two sections (sect. Larix with short bracts, and sect. Multiserialis with long bracts), but genetic evidence (Gernandt & Liston 1999) does not support this division, pointing instead to a genetic divide between Old World
Old World

The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans, Asians, and Africans in the 15th century....
 and New World
New World

The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth, specifically the Americas and Australasia. When the term originated in the late 15th century, the Americas were new to the Europeans, who previously thought of the world as consisting only of Europe, Asia, and Africa ....
 species, with the cone and bract size being merely adaptations to climatic conditions. More recent genetic studies have proposed three groups within the genus, with a primary division into North American and Eurasian species, and a secondary division of the Eurasian into northern short-bracted species and southern long-bracted species (Semerikov & Lascoux 1999; Wei and Wang 2003, 2004; Gros-Louis et al. 2005); there is some dispute over the position of Larix sibirica, a short-bracted species which is placed in the short-bracted group by some of the studies and the long-bracted group by others.

Eurasian


Northern, short-bracted
  • Larix decidua
    European Larch

    European Larch is a species of larch native to the mountains of central Europe, in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains, with disjunct lowland populations in northern Poland and southern Lithuania....
     (syn. L. europaea) European Larch. Mountains of central Europe
    Europe

    Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
    .
  • Larix sibirica
    Siberian Larch

    The 'Siberian Larch' or 'Russian Larch' is a frost-hardy tree native to western Russia, from close to the Finland border east to the Yenisei valley in central Siberia, where it Hybrid with the Dahurian Larch L....
     Siberian Larch. Plains of western Siberia
    Siberia

    Siberia , is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of North Asia and for the most part currently serving as the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, having served in the same capacity previously for the Soviet Union from its beginning, and the Russian Empire beginning in the 16th century....
    .
  • Larix gmelinii
    Dahurian Larch

    Dahurian Larch is a species of larch native to eastern Siberia, and adjacent northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China and North Korea.It forms enormous forests in the eastern Siberian taiga, growing at 50-1,200 m altitude on both boggy and well-drained soils, including on the shallow soils above permafrost....
     (syn. L. dahurica) Dahurian Larch. Plains of central Siberia
    Siberia

    Siberia , is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of North Asia and for the most part currently serving as the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, having served in the same capacity previously for the Soviet Union from its beginning, and the Russian Empire beginning in the 16th century....
    .
  • Larix cajanderi
    Dahurian Larch

    Dahurian Larch is a species of larch native to eastern Siberia, and adjacent northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China and North Korea.It forms enormous forests in the eastern Siberian taiga, growing at 50-1,200 m altitude on both boggy and well-drained soils, including on the shallow soils above permafrost....
     (syn. L. dahurica) Dahurian Larch. Plains of eastern Siberia
    Siberia

    Siberia , is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of North Asia and for the most part currently serving as the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, having served in the same capacity previously for the Soviet Union from its beginning, and the Russian Empire beginning in the 16th century....
    .
  • Larix kaempferi
    Japanese Larch

    Japanese Larch is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chubu region and Kanto region regions in central Honshu.It is a medium-sized to large deciduous Pinophyta tree reaching 20-40 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter....
     (syn. L. leptolepis) Japanese Larch. Mountains of central Japan
    Japan

    Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
    .
  • Larix principis-rupprechtii Prince Rupprecht's Larch *. Mountains of northern China
    China

    China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
     (Shanxi
    Shanxi

    is a political divisions of China in the North China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-character abbreviation is Jin , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
    , Hebei
    Hebei

    For the people of Hebei, see Hebei people is a North China province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province , a Han Dynasty province that included southern Hebei....
    ).
    • Olgan Larch or Olga Bay Larch (Larix gmelinii var. olgensis) is sometimes treated as a distinct species Larix olgensis.


Southern, long-bracted
  • Larix potaninii Chinese Larch. Mountains of southwestern China
    China

    China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
     (Sichuan
    Sichuan

    is a Province in western China proper with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, ?? , is an abbreviation of ??? , or "Four circuit #Circuits in East Asia of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from ???? , or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Song...
    , northern Yunnan
    Yunnan

    is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately 394,000 square kilometers ....
    ).
  • Larix himalaica Langtang Larch *. Mountains of central Himalaya.
  • Larix mastersiana Masters' Larch. Mountains of western China
    China

    China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
    .
  • Larix speciosa Yunnan Larch *. Mountains of southwest China
    China

    China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
     (southwest Yunnan
    Yunnan

    is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately 394,000 square kilometers ....
    ), northeast Myanmar
    Myanmar

    Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia, or Indochina. The country is bordered by the People's Republic of China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, and the Bay of Bengal to the southwest with...
    .
  • Larix griffithii (syn. L. griffithiana) Himalayan Larch. Mountains of eastern Himalaya


North American

  • Larix laricina
    Tamarack Larch

    Tamarack Larch, or Tamarack or American Larch is a species of larch native to northern North America, mainly in Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland , and also south into the northeastern United States from Minnesota to West Virginia; there is also a disjunct population in central Alas...
     Tamarack Larch or American Larch. Plains of northern North America
    North America

    North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
    .
  • Larix lyallii Subalpine Larch. Mountains of northwest USA and southwest Canada
    Canada

    Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
    , at very high altitude.
  • Larix occidentalis
    Western Larch

    Western Larch is a species of larch native to the mountains of western North America, in Canada in southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, and in the United States in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho and western Montana....
     Western Larch. Mountains of northwest USA and southwest Canada
    Canada

    Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
    , at lower altitudes.


Most if not all of the species can be hybridised in cultivation. The best known hybrid is the Dunkeld Larch Larix × marschlinsii (syn. L. × eurolepis, an illegitimate name), which arose more or less simultaneously in Switzerland and Scotland when L. decidua and L. kaempferi hybridised when planted together.

Larch is used as a food plant by the larva
Larva

A larva is a young form of animal with indirect developmental biology, going through or undergoing metamorphosis .The larva can look completely different from the adult form, for example, a caterpillar differs from a butterfly....
e of a number of Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterfly. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterfly, skipper , and Hedylidae....
 species - see list of Lepidoptera that feed on larches.

Larches are prone to the fungal
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
 canker
Canker

Canker and anthracnose are general terms for a large number of different Plant pathology, characterised by broadly similar symptoms including the appearance of small areas of dead tissue, which grow slowly, often over a period of years....
 disease Lachnellula willkommii (Larch Canker); this is particularly a problem on sites prone to late spring frosts, which cause minor injuries to the tree allowing entry to the fungal spores.

Uses

Larch is a wood
Wood

Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....
 valued in for its tough, waterproof and durable qualities; top quality knot-free timber is in great demand for building yacht
Yacht

A yacht is a recreational boat. It designates two rather different classes of watercraft, sailing and power yachts. Yachts are differentiated from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose....
s and other small boat
Boat

A boat is a watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water, and provide transport over it. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas....
s, for exterior cladding of buildings and interior panelling. The timber is resistant to rot when in contact with the ground, and is suitable for use as posts and in fencing. The hybrid Dunkeld Larch is widely grown as a timber
Timber

Timber may refer to:* Lumber, i.e. wood materials* Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Oregon* Timber , a 1984 arcade game by Bally Midway...
 crop in northern Europe, valued for its fast growth and disease resistance.

Larch has also been used in herbal medicine; see Bach flower remedies
Bach flower remedies

Bach flower remedies are dilutions of flower material developed by Edward Bach, an English physician and homeopath, in the 1930s. The remedies are used primarily for emotional and spiritual conditions, including but not limited to clinical depression, anxiety, insomnia and stress ....
 for details.

In central Europe larch is viewed as one of the best wood materials for the building of residences. Planted on borders with birch, both tree species were used in pagan "sagged" cremations. One "sag" (pronounced song) of wood was required for a cremation
Cremation

Cremation is the process of reducing human remains to basic Chemical element in the form of bone fragments through flame, heat, and vaporization....
 stack. Sag is used today as a Polish forestry unit measuring approximately 3 × 1 × 1 m.

In Siberia young larch leaves are harvested in spring, preserved by lactobacillus fermentation, and used for salads during winter.

Larches are often used in bonsai
Bonsai

Bonsai 'Bonsai' is a Japanese pronunciation of the earlier Chinese term penzai . The word bonsai is used in the West as an umbrella term for all miniature trees in containers or pots....
 culture, where their knobby bark, small needles, fresh spring foliage and especially autumn colour are appreciated. European Larch
European Larch

European Larch is a species of larch native to the mountains of central Europe, in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains, with disjunct lowland populations in northern Poland and southern Lithuania....
, Japanese Larch
Japanese Larch

Japanese Larch is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chubu region and Kanto region regions in central Honshu.It is a medium-sized to large deciduous Pinophyta tree reaching 20-40 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter....
 and Tamarack Larch
Tamarack Larch

Tamarack Larch, or Tamarack or American Larch is a species of larch native to northern North America, mainly in Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland , and also south into the northeastern United States from Minnesota to West Virginia; there is also a disjunct population in central Alas...
 are the species most commonly trained as bonsai.

Popular culture


The Larch is a running joke in several Monty Python
Monty Python's Flying Circus

Monty Python?s Flying Circus is a BBC sketch comedy programme from the Monty Python comedy team, and the group's initial claim to fame. The show was noted for its surreality, Wiktionary:risqu? or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags, and sketches without punchlines....
 sketches beginning with the first season episode "How to Recognise Different Types of Trees From Quite a Long Way Away
List of Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes

This is a list of all 45 episodes from the television series Monty Python's Flying Circus:...
". (And now for something completely different. Number one, the larch. Number two, the larch...)

External links and references

  • Gymnosperm Database:
  • Phillips, D. H., & Burdekin, D. A. (1992). Diseases of Forest and Ornamental Trees. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-49493-8.*Semerikov, V. L., & Lascoux, M. (1999). Genetic relationship among Eurasian and American Larix species based on allozymes. Heredity 83: 62–70.*
  • Gros-Louis, M.-C., Bousquet, J., Pâques, L. E., & Isabel, N. (2005). Species-diagnostic markers in Larix spp. based on RAPDs and nuclear, cpDNA, and mtDNA gene sequences, and their phylogenetic implications. Tree Genetics & Genomes 1 (2): 50–63.