empty cones remaining on the branches for several years. Seeds, two on each scale, with a translucent wing, which remains coalesced with the seed, covering it entirely on the upper side, and extending for some distance along its outer edge.
The genus is confined to the temperate and colder regions of the northern hemisphere, and comprises about fourteen described species. Four of these, yen we have not seen either growing wild or in cultivation, will now be briefly alluded to.
Larix Cajanderi, Mayr, Fremdländ. Wald- u. Parkbäume, 297, fig. 88 (1906). Discovered by Dr. Cajander in eastern Siberia, where it occurs along the banks of the river Lena from the mouth of the Aldan at 68° N. lat. northwards to 72° N. lat., becoming here a stunted tree only 10 to 20 feet in height. It usually forms mixed woods with the Siberian spruce or Betula odorata, assuming in wet soil the same appearance as is presented by L. americana in the swamps of Wisconsin; or on unflooded land growing pure to a height of about 70 feet. Judging from the description it is closely allied to, if not a mere variety of, L. dahurica. The young branchlets are yellowish brown with scattered hairs, older branchlets becoming ashy grey. The leaves are very long, up to 2 inches in length; and are accompanied on the opening of the bud by a tuft of dense whitish pubescence, which is absent in L. dahurica. The cones are small, with about twenty scales, which gape widely when ripe, and are broad and concave on the upper margin.
Larix Principis Rupprechtii, Mayr, op. cit. 309, figs. 87, 94, 95 (1906). This species was discovered by Mayr on the Wu Tai mountain in the province of Shansi in northern China; and appears to resemble strongly the European larch, from which it differs in the cone-scales being finely denticulate and glabrous, with bracts short and only visible towards the base of the cone. This species has been introduced into Europe by Mayr, who brought a living plant to Grafrath, near Munich, which is growing there very vigorously.
Larix kamtschatika, Carrière, Conif. 279 (1855); Abies kamtschatika, Ruprecht, Beit. Pflanzenkund. Russ. Reich. ii. 57; Pinus kamtschatika, Endlicher, Conif. 135 (1847). This species, which occurs in Kamtschatka, is said to differ from L. dahurica in having larger cones. It is imperfectly known, and has not been introduced.
Larix chinensis, Beissner, Mitteil. Deutsch. Dendrol. Gesell. 1896, p. 68, and 1901, p. 76; and Nuov. Giorn. Bot. Ital. iv. 183, t. 5 (1897). A tree, dimensions of which are not stated. Branchlets yellow, glabrous. Leaves up to 1¼ inch long, triangular in section, stomatose on the under surface. Cones ovoid-cylindrical, 1½ to 2 inches long; scales numerous, orbicular, entire, coriaceous, furrowed and tomentose on the outer surface, standing horizontally in the opened cones ; bracts lanceolate, truncate at the narrowed apex, with a short mucro, extending considerably beyond the upper margin of the scale, and appressed and not recurved in the unripe cone. Seeds about 1⁄6 inch in length with a broad wing slightly exceeding the seeds in length.
This species, specimens of which I have recently seen in the Museum at Florence, was discovered at 10,000 feet altitude in the Peling mountains of Shensi in China by Père Giraldi in 1893. Beissner has raised seedlings from seeds sent in
