Common name: European Larch
Scientific name: Larix decidua 歐洲落葉松
Genus: Larix 落葉松屬
Family: Pinaceae 松科, pine family
Class: Pinopsida 松柏網
Divison: Pinophyta 松柏門
Origin:
Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is a native to the Alps and Carpathians (喀爾巴阡山脈, it spans across seven countries - Romania, Slovakia 斯洛伐克, Poland, Ukraine, Serbia 塞爾維亞, Czech Republic and Austria). It was introduced to Britian in 1629.
[075542] A deciduous tree to 45 m.
[075803] Tree trunks.
[042] Tree trunk.
[045] Flowering female cones are seen with leaf buds now. Very young male cones are very inconspicuous and difficult to see.
[043] Mature female cones of last year can also be seen.
[036_1] A leaf bud with leaves ready to emerge.
(Mature leaves: needles to 30 mm long, <1 mm wide, in dense clusters of up to 50 on short lateral shoots.)
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[040_1] Very young male cones.
[040_2] Enlarged photo above showing the bracts of the male cone.
[041_2] Top view of a very young male cone.
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[035_1] A female cone (flowering cone - the "larch rose" stage) with several leaf buds around.
[037_1] Lateral view of the female cone showing the bracts. The crimson-red bracts (bract scales 苞鱗^) are longer than the seed scales 種鱗 (ovouliferous scales 珠鱗) and clearly visible now.
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[038_1] Mature female cone.
[039_1] Mature female cones oval, 20-40 mm long x 20-25 mm wide, bracts* not recurved at tip. (vs Mature female cones more spherical, about 30 mm long x 25 mm wide, bracts recurved at tips in Larix kaempferi 日本落葉松, Japanese Larch)
[*These bracts are woody ovuliferous scales 珠鱗 that are different from the bract scales 苞鱗^ appeared in young female cone.]
